Every smart city's jumping on the bike sharing bandwagon these days, usually comparing their plan to Paris's Velib scheme (although they're rarely as big or as good).

This time it's London's turn to announce a bike sharing system, which might make it practically compulsory for other Olympic cities in the future. London's version doesn't have a cool name yet (or even an uncool one)--they're just at the stage of finding companies who want to run it. But keen cyclist and mayor Boris Johnson is promising to start off with 6,000 bikes with 400 different "docking stations."

They're proposing a sensible deposit for using a bike (presumably a credit card swipe will do) but also an annual fee, which isn't very tourist-friendly. It also won't be too friendly if the bikes aren't ready for the 2012 Olympics; mayor Boris wants bikes circling London by 2010 but they've got a long way to go.

Related Stories:
· London Cycling Campaign [Official Site]
· 6,000 Bikes in 400 Locations [Guardian]
· Bike Sharing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Vagamundos]]]> amandak 2008-11-19T09:30:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/9/43749/22426

London's subway system got a bit more convenient to use (although no cheaper) when it started using stored-value Oyster cards to pay for your tickets. New trials with specially equipped cell phones could make our London Underground experience even easier.

Nokia and O2 joined forces to test out using cell phones that could be "read" by the same machines that people tap their Oyster card across. The 500 guinea pigs who tested the system were impressed: 89 percent would want such a system on their phones.

With the 2012 Olympics in London not all that far away (!), IOC officials are keen to make the technology widespread as part of their "cashless Olympics" campaign. Of course, the other way to make the Olympics cashless is to make transport (and everything else) free. Any officials listening?

Related Stories:
· Oyster Phones a Step Nearer [Business Traveller]
· London Traffic [Jaunted]
· The Oh-So-Confusing London Subway [Jaunted]

[Photo: amandabhslater]]]> amandak 2008-09-09T09:20:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/11/12/9634/8617

A black plume of smoke is covering London today, as an east London warehouse on the 2012 Olympic site burned. The blaze broke out in the industrial area of Stratford on the construction site for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

No one has been reported hurt, and one railyway line has been closed because of the blaze. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, as is the extent of the damage to the 2012 Olympic site.

Related Stories:
· London Travel Stories [Jaunted]
· London Hotels [Jaunted]

[Photo: r0b1]]]> markj 2007-11-12T09:20:37-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/