A few years ago Victoria offered a program called Blue Bike. The idea was simple; bikes were scattered around the city and were available for anyone to use. You borrowed it when you needed it and left it for someone else to use. Sadly many of the bikes - not to mention the idea - vanished. On Saturday the Globe and Mail offered an interesting story about a similar program in Paris. For a reasonable rate you can rent a bike for certain periods of the day. What stops people from stealing them? You have to put down a deposit. While this may not sound like a money-making venture, the majority of the profit comes from advertising.

It is sad to see Victoria give up on such an interesting and creative project. With gas prices skyrocketing, there has never been a better time to re-institute the idea. For a city that prides itself on environmental sustainability (see council goals) there is a real lack of imagination and persistence when it comes to achieving this objective. Some may consider it a stretch to compare Victoria to Paris but with the right leadership, anything is possible.