But bike riding is healthy, everyone agrees. And the program should be self-supporting once the administrative roadblocks (like dedicated parking "pods" for bikes) are ironed out.
Washington DC just started a bike-sharing project, and Europe has had them for years. They work just fine, and they're extremely popular. Guys in suits running midday errands, students, matrons doing their shopping. You don't have to return the bike to its starting point, just drop it off at the nearest pod when you're done.
The first bike pods would probably go downtown, in South Lake Union and along Eastlake, to the U District, even Sand Point. For the tough guys, Capitol Hill. Future phases might include Ballard-Fremont, the Rainier Valley and, g-gosh, even Overlake and downtown Bellevue.
"Better hurry," comments one naysayer, "Seattle's two-month bike-riding season is almost over!"
More information http://pugetsoundbikeshare.org/
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