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Bike Rentals, Pier 41
One common weekend sight in San Francisco is to see dozens of tourists on rented bicycles riding along Fisherman's Wharf, Crissy Field, and out to Fort Point. Some intrepid riders, following the maps on their bikes, even ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. Another common sight is tourists walking their rental bikes up hills that looked flatter on their maps. Either way bicycling is a great way to get around a city the size of San Francisco.

And, if an upcoming municipal proposal is accepted, San Franciscans will also be riding bikes in greater numbers. The proposal to be voted on this month would put forward a bike-sharing program in the city to encourage people to use bicycles for short distance trips. The program, based on similar programs in Paris, Copenhagen, and Helsinki, would provide hundreds of bikes for use by those who sign up for a nominal charge via a debit account. Bike stations would be set up around the city where the GPS-secured bikes would be available with a quick swipe of the member card. Daily, weekly, monthly and annual plans would be available to those wishing to participate.
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