Action plan
BU307 Unit 3 Case Study
The city of Lyon is located in the central part of France, about two hours south of
Paris via TGV. It has a long and rich history as the capital of Gaul in the Roman Empire,
a worldwide center of silk production, and a stronghold of the French resistance during
World War II. Today, Lyon is the third largest city in France, has a thriving high tech and
pharmaceutical industry, and is considered the gastronomical capital of a country known
for its cuisine and wine. Unfortunately, with size and industry came pollution,
overcrowding, and traffic jams. In the mid-1990s, only 18% of its citizens had easy
access to public transportation versus 30% in other towns of equivalent size.
By 2000, Lyon's city government had constructed an above-ground light rail system to
complement the existing underground metro and bus network in an effort to extend
public transportation to more people. However, the outdoor station's stops needed
shelters to protect waiting passengers from the wind, rain, and snow. In an innovative
program, the marketing and advertising firm, JCDecaux, in cooperation with Lyon's
development office, created “street furniture” to house the benches, ticket vending
machines, route maps, and time tables. JCDecaux constructed and maintained the sites
in exchange for the revenue from advertisements placed on the shelters. The program
was a win-win for both organizations.
The success of the cooperative tram and bus shelter project, and the city's
continued interest in easing pollution and traffic jams in the commercial center of the
city, led them to seek out additional change. They asked JCDecaux for input. JCDecaux
had been testing the idea of a self-service bicycle program in Vienna, Austria and
Córdobo and Gijon, Spain and they proposed adopting and implementing a “bike
exchange” network in and around Lyon in mid-2002. For Lyon and its neighboring city of
Villeurbanne, it was a risky and large-scale proposal.
The vision—common now in many European cities, but completely novel at the
time—was that commuters and pedestrians could pick up a bicycle at installations
around the city—near metro stops, businesses, or large public venues—and use it to
shop, go to work, or simply get from one part of town to the other more conveniently
than a car or the bus, metro, or light-rail system. The original idea was that the bike
could be used for free for less than an hour and at very low prices if used for longer
periods. (To get a picture of the system and its different parts today, go to
www.velov.grandlyon.com .) “It is our intent to turn bicycles into a mode of daily travel
for workers in the city,” said one government official.
An initial budget of €2 million per year was estimated to invest in bikes,
registration systems, installations, and support operations until about 2007. To support
the project, the city also envisioned construction or remodeling of several parking
garages to encourage people to park their cars on the outskirts of town and then pick up
a bike to finish the commute. Two parking garages in the downtown area had already
begun offering free bicycles for those who parked their vehicle there.
The project—named Vélo V—was presented by the city's mayor before the second
annual “day without a car” festival. Vélo V would be managed by JCDecaux. They
would own and maintain the bikes and finance operations through advertising receipts.
The head of the city's development function suggested that it was a bold attempt to
“effect a radical change in the philosophy” of the urban community. At the time, less
than 3% of the people in Lyon used a bicycle, against 10% in Strasbourg and other
cities. The proposal was supported by Les Verts, France's Green political party, but the
president of the local nongovernmental transportation union was upset that there had
been little dialogue with various concerned organizations.
The goal was to launch a 24 hours/day operation in May 2005 with 1,200 bicycles in
120 stations. According to a JCDecaux regional manager, they expected 2,000 bikes in
180 stations by October and projected 3,000 bikes in 2006 and 4,000 bikes in 2007
Adapted from:
Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2014). Organization development and change (10th Ed).
[VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from
http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305339330/id/ch9-P469