Self-service shared bicycle stations, featured in European cities, comes to the United States first in Washington, D.C. (Or perhaps not; there seems to have been programs elsewhere. So it must be the automated, self-service piece.) A good idea, I think given our strong transit use and relatively flat terrain.
The stations locations, plainly, couldn’t be better for me for home, work and shopping. (I can see one being built from my apartment window.) Even though I’m not much of a bike person, I think I might sign up.
In Barcelona, the program (funnily called “bicing”, with an English ending) has been hugely successful, even though the traffic distribution in my city is not very convenient for bike riding in downtown. The feeling that bicycles are “invading” pedestrian areas is widespread, but still there are more and more people who leave their car in their parking place and take a shared bike instead.