[NetBehaviour] Montreal's public bike system.

[marc garrett]

Montreal's public bike system integrates Web, RFID

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira

With gas prices climbing daily, many commuters are looking for a more 
economic (and ecologically responsible) way to travel. Treehugger 
reports that the City of Montreal has launched one possible solution: 
the Public Bike System.

The Public Bike System is comprised of modular units that can be moved 
and added to as needed depending on volume. Users visit a web site to 
locate a rental unit close to their location and get a real-time update 
detailing how many bikes are at that location. With an access card or 
credit card, they can then choose a bike and rent it for any length of 
time, simply returning it to another station when they reach their 
destination.

The software behind the Public Bike System tracks every bike in the 
system, gauging how many bikes are at each location and the functional 
status of each bike, as well as the status of solar panels running the 
system and the electronics. Users can alert the system from the rental 
units if a bike is damaged, and the stats are monitored for traffic and 
usage patterns, allowing for stations, docks, and bikes to be redeployed 
as needed.

more...
http://tinyurl.com/5myp6h