[jyl]

I spent the week in NYC. I do that often enough, usually in midtown, and up to now I've always tended to stay in whatever hotel is closest to the conference, whether I liked the hotel (or its price) or not, due to the hassle of walking longer distances from hotel to conference.

This time, the NYC Bikeshare (Citibike) was in operation. I tell ya, its going to improve my trips substantially. I just walked two blocks to a bike station, took a bike, rode to the station nearest the conference, docked the bike, done.

Three blocks of walking instead of twenty. No waiting in noisy subway stations or paying $30 a day to sullen cabbies. I got to stay where I wanted to stay (close to Central Park so I could conveniently run in the park), and didn't have to pay $450/night for a closer hotel.

Manhattan seems a totally easy place to ride. There is lots of traffic but it moves slowly, drivers are used to looking out for pedestrians and cyclists and all manner of street obstructions, and it is flat.

I love it. I'm going to expense a $99/yr membership just to use it on my trips.

We're supposed to get a bikeshare system in Portland, sponsors pending. I'm looking forward to it.