Villo!
Villo! and "Vélo" ) is a public bicycle rental programme in Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium.
It was launched on 19 May 2009 in cooperation between the Brussels-Capital region and the company JCDecaux as a replacement of the former scheme Cyclocity, launched in 2006.
The scheme is currently in its second phase of expansion which will see a system of 5,000 bikes in all of the municipalities of the Brussels region by 2013, making it one of the biggest in the world.
Overview
The bicycles are equipped with adjustable-height saddle, 7-speed gear, front basket, covered chain drive, always-on front and rear lights, front and rear disc brakes, puncture-resistant Schwalbe Marathon tires and integrated bicycle lock; this all adds up to a weight of 22 kg.Since May 2011, holders of a MoBIB card for STIB, the Brussels mass transit authority, have been able to use their card to access the Villo! network. Use of Villo increases on days of public transit strikes, for example doubling on the day of the general strike, 30 January 2012.
As of December 2011 the system had 27,000 regular subscribers. On average 25,000 bikes were used per week. Plans are under way for an expansion of the network in a second phase which will expand to all of the communities in the Brussels area by 2013. By the end of this phase there should be 360 sites and 5000 bikes available. Some popular stations will also be expanded to deal with demand.
According to the Region of Brussels, 400 car parking places have been removed to make way for villo stations during the first phase of the project. Some residents have complained about the loss of permanent parking spots, but proponents of the programme argue that overall the programme should increase the amount of parking available due to a long term reduction in motorised traffic.
Cyclocity
The original cyclocity programme, also run by JCDecaux was launched on 17 September 2006 to coincide with Car Free Day that year. Originally there were 250 bikes available at 23 stations, exclusively in the city of Brussels proper, that is to say the old city. The programme was not a success, with most of the blame going to the limited scope of the network. It was relaunched under the Villo! brand in 2009 with an expanded network.Issues
Bicycle Distribution
Stations especially those at greater elevations are regularly empty. Other stations are regularly full. JCDecaux tries to fix this problem by transporting bicycles between stations with special vans but the service is insufficient. The company has said it will expand some stations to address the problem in September 2010. The independent website "Where's My Villo?" uses real-time data to track the performance of Brussels' bike-sharing scheme, Villo!, and aims to get JCDecaux to improve bike availability. Phase 2, to be implemented in 2012 will also see the expansion of some of the most popular stations.Stations
There are 346 stations in all municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region.The density of stations in each municipality varies from 0.3 to 4.5 stations/km2.The five most used stations are :
- Brussels-Luxembourg railway station
- Flagey
- Celtes
- Bourse
- Lesbroussart
- Van Lint
- Heliotropes
- Sainte-Anne
- Hopital francais
- Tref centrum
| Municipality | No. of stations | Area | Density |
| Anderlecht | 5 | 17,7 | 0,3 |
| Sint-Agatha-Berchem | 2 | 2,9 | 0,7 |
| City of Brussels | 59 | 32,6 | 1,8 |
| Etterbeek | 10 | 3,1 | 3,2 |
| Ixelles | 27 | 6,3 | 4,3 |
| Jette | 8 | 5,0 | 1,6 |
| Koekelberg | 5 | 1,2 | 4,2 |
| Sint-Jans-Molenbeek | 10 | 5,9 | 1,7 |
| Saint-Gilles | 11 | 2,5 | 4,4 |
| Saint-Josse-ten-Noode | 5 | 1,1 | 4,4 |
| Schaerbeek | 38 | 8,1 | 4,5 |
Details of the stations:
| No | Name in French | Streetname in French | Municipality |
| 1 | Leopold | avenue de Tervueren | Sint-Pieters-Woluwe |
| 2 | Éloy | rue Éloy | Anderlecht |
| 3 | Porte de Flandre | boulevard de Nieuport 1 | City of Brussels |
| 4 | Jardin aux Fleurs | place du Jardin aux Fleurs | City of Brussels |
| 5 | Bourse | rue Paul Delvaux | City of Brussels |
| 6 | Gare Centrale | boulevard de l'Impératrice | City of Brussels |
| 7 | Parc | rue Royale 66-68 | City of Brussels |
| 8 | Arts-Loi | avenue des Arts 24 | City of Brussels |
| 9 | Anneessens | boulevard Maurice Lemonnier 42-46 | City of Brussels |
| 10 | Chapelle | place de la chapelle | City of Brussels |
| 11 | Sablon | rue de la Régence | City of Brussels |
| 12 | Trône | avenue des Arts 58 | City of Brussels |
| 13 | Lemonnier | boulevard Maurice Lemonnier 202-206 | City of Brussels |
| 14 | Porte de Namur | boulevard du Régent 1 | City of Brussels |
| 16 | Louise | place Louise 53 | Saint-Gilles |
| 18 | Gutenberg | square Gutenberg 5 | City of Brussels |
| 19 | Place Morichar | rue des Étudiants 32-34 | Saint-Gilles |
| 20 | Palais Royal | rue Royale 14 | City of Brussels |
| 21 | De Brouckère | place de Brouckère | City of Brussels |
| 22 | Jacqmain | boulevard d'Anvers | City of Brussels |
| 23 | Agora | place Agora 120 | City of Brussels |
| 24 | Rogier | boulevard du Jardin Botanique | City of Brussels |
| 25 | Porte d'Anderlecht | boulevard Poincaré 27-29 | Anderlecht |
| 26 | Van Lint | rue Van Lint 6-8 | Anderlecht |
| 27 | Square Albert Ier | square Albert I 25-27 | Anderlecht |
| 28 | Clémenceau | chaussée de Mons 159-163 | Anderlecht |
| 29 | Baudouin | rue de Laeken | City of Brussels |
| 30 | Laeken | rue de Laeken 109-119 | City of Brussels |
| 31 | Musée de la BD | boulevard Pachéco | City of Brussels |
| 32 | Dansaert | rue Antoine Dansaert 60-64 | City of Brussels |
| 33 | Mort Subite | rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7 | City of Brussels |
| 34 | Fontainas | boulevard Anspach 180-192 | City of Brussels |
| 35 | Cantersteen | rue Cantersteen 41-45 | City of Brussels |
| 36 | Place Saint Jean | rue du Lombard 42 | City of Brussels |
| 37 | Poelaert | place Poelaert 3 | City of Brussels |
| 38 | Jeu de Balle | rue Blaes 135-141 | City of Brussels |
| 39 | Hôtel des Monnaies | boulevard de Waterloo 93-98 | City of Brussels |
| 40 | Porte de Hal | boulevard du Midi 142 | City of Brussels |
| 41 | Saint Roch | chaussée d'Anvers 37 | City of Brussels |
| 42 | Porte de Ninove | place de Ninove | City of Brussels |
| 43 | Joseph II | rue Joseph II | City of Brussels |
| 44 | Charlemagne | rue de la Science 11 | City of Brussels |
| 45 | Stéphanie | avenue Louise 61A-65 | City of Brussels |
| 46 | Albertine | boulevard de l'Empereur 2 | City of Brussels |
| 47 | Les Quais | quai à la Chaux 1-2 | City of Brussels |
| 48 | Congrès | rue Royale 144-148 | City of Brussels |
| 49 | Willebroeck | quai de Willebroeck 22bis | City of Brussels |
| 50 | Ribeaucourt | boulevard Léopold II 121-123 | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 51 | Midi Fonsny | rue d'Angleterre | Saint-Gilles |
| 52 | Sainctelette | place Sainctelette | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 53 | Gare du Midi | place Victor Horta | Saint-Gilles |
| 54 | Tour et Taxis | rue Picard 3 | City of Brussels |
| 55 | Botanique | avenue Galilée | Saint-Josse-ten-Noode |
| 56 | Archimède | rue Archimède 58-64 | City of Brussels |
| 57 | Madou | rue Scailquin | Saint-Josse-ten-Noode |
| 58 | Place du Nord | place du Nord | Saint-Josse-ten-Noode |
| 59 | Place Saint Josse | rue Willems 5-11 | Saint-Josse-ten-Noode |
| 60 | Saint-Lazare | boulevard Saint-Lazare 4-10 | Saint-Josse-ten-Noode |
| 61 | Maelbeek | chaussée d'Etterbeek 15 | City of Brussels |
| 62 | Cortenbergh | avenue de Cortenbergh | City of Brussels |
| 64 | Vétérinaires | rue de France | Saint-Gilles |
| 65 | Parvis de Saint-Gilles | chaussée de Waterloo 65-69 | Saint-Gilles |
| 66 | Schuman | rue de la Loi 170 | City of Brussels |
| 67 | Parc du Cinquantenaire | avenue d'Auderghem 45 | City of Brussels |
| 68 | Jean Rey | place Jean Rey | City of Brussels |
| 69 | Lesbroussart | avenue Louise 192 | City of Brussels |
| 70 | Aurore | avenue Louise 440 | City of Brussels |
| 71 | Legrand | avenue Louise 525 | City of Brussels |
| 72 | ULB Franklin Roosevelt | avenue Franklin Roosevelt 19 | City of Brussels |
| 73 | Vleurgat | avenue Louise 300 | City of Brussels |
| 74 | Place Loix | rue Berckmans 78-84 | Saint-Gilles |
| 75 | Général Baron | avenue du Parc 55 | Saint-Gilles |
| 76 | Place Van Meenen | avenue Paul Dejaer 35-39 | Saint-Gilles |
| 77 | Paul Janson | chaussée de Charleroi 159 | Saint-Gilles |
| 78 | Duc Petiaux | chaussée de Charleroi | Saint-Gilles |
| 79 | Loi | rue de Trèves 126-128 | City of Brussels |
| 80 | Céres | avenue Franklin Roosevelt 14 | City of Brussels |
| 81 | Pont Bockstael | boulevard Emile Bockstael 5 | City of Brussels |
| 82 | Pannenhuis | rue Charles Demeer 71 | City of Brussels |
| 83 | Simonis | boulevard Léopold II 282 | Koekelberg |
| 84 | Sainte-Anne | rue de l'Église Sainte-Anne 116 | Koekelberg |
| 85 | Etangs Noirs | chaussée de Gand | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 86 | Maison comm. de Jette | chaussée de Wemmel 102 | Jette |
| 87 | Miroir | avenue de Laeken 36 | Jette |
| 88 | Woeste | avenue Notre Dame de Lourdes | Jette |
| 89 | Athenée de Jette | avenue de Levis Mirepoix 100 | Jette |
| 90 | Broustin | avenue de Jette 73-81 | Koekelberg |
| 91 | Belgica | place Philippe Werrie 24 | Jette |
| 92 | Lenoir | boulevard de Smet de Naeyer 187-189 | Jette |
| 93 | Clovis | chaussée de Louvain 260-264 | City of Brussels |
| 94 | Duchesse de Brabant | rue de Birmingham | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 95 | Place Bockstael | boulevard Émile Bockstael 254 | City of Brussels |
| 96 | Hôtel Président | boulevard du Roi Albert II | City of Brussels |
| 97 | Karreveld | chaussée de Gand 1-3 | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 98 | Cimetière | boulevard Louis Mettewie | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 99 | Jubilé | boulevard du Jubilé 79 | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 100 | Gare du Luxembourg | rue de Trèves | Ixelles |
| 101 | Parnasse | rue du Trône 111-113 | Ixelles |
| 102 | Museum | chaussée de Wavre 229-233 | Ixelles |
| 103 | Ernest Solvay | rue de l'Arbre Bénit 2-6 | Ixelles |
| 104 | Fernand Cocq | place Fernand Cocq 19-23 | Ixelles |
| 105 | De Hennin | chaussée d'Ixelles 254-260 | Ixelles |
| 106 | Germoir | avenue de la Couronne 92-96 | Ixelles |
| 107 | Defacqz | rue Defacqz 25-29 | Ixelles |
| 108 | Flagey | place Eugène Flagey 11 | Ixelles |
| 109 | Chatelain | rue de l'Aqueduc 115-119 | Ixelles |
| 110 | Rodin | avenue de la Couronne 145D | Ixelles |
| 111 | Leemans | place Albert Leemans 13-14 | Ixelles |
| 112 | Page | chaussée de Waterloo 440-442 | Ixelles |
| 113 | Abbaye de la Cambre | avenue Émile Duray 2 | Ixelles |
| 114 | de Beco | avenue Émile de Beco 128 | Ixelles |
| 115 | Petite Suisse | place de la Petite Suisse 16-18 | Ixelles |
| 116 | Fraiteur | boulevard de la Plaine | Ixelles |
| 117 | Cimetière d'Ixelles | avenue de l'Université 1-5 | Ixelles |
| 118 | Buyl | avenue Adolphe Buyl 1-3 | Ixelles |
| 119 | Paquot | rue Jean Paquot 44-48 | Ixelles |
| 120 | Blyckaerts | place Raymond Blyckaerts | Ixelles |
| 121 | Étangs | rue Guillaume Stocq 1-5 | Ixelles |
| 122 | Gare d'Etterbeek | boulevard Général Jacques | Ixelles |
| 123 | Van Eyck | chaussée de Vleurgat 215-217 | Ixelles |
| 124 | Charles Graux | chaussée de Waterloo 585-587 | Ixelles |
| 125 | Georges Brugmann | place Georges Brugmann 10-11 | Ixelles |
| 127 | Gray | rue des Deux Ponts 4 | Ixelles |
| 133 | Château | avenue du Château | Koekelberg |
| 134 | Bastogne | place de Bastogne | Koekelberg |
| 135 | Parc Lacroix | avenue Princesse Élisabeth | Schaerbeek |
| 136 | Pavillon | place du Pavillon 92-96 | Schaerbeek |
| 137 | Maison Com. de Sch. | rue Royale Sainte-Marie 241-245 | Schaerbeek |
| 138 | Houffalize | place de Houffalize | Schaerbeek |
| 139 | Liedts | place Liedts 38 | Schaerbeek |
| 140 | Azalées | avenue des Azalées 68 | Schaerbeek |
| 141 | Gare du Nord | boulevard Simon Bolivar | Schaerbeek |
| 142 | Bienfaiteurs | avenue Rogier 269-271 | Schaerbeek |
| 143 | RTL | chaussée de Louvain 770 | Schaerbeek |
| 144 | Sainte-Marie | rue Royale 257-259 | Schaerbeek |
| 145 | Coteaux | avenue Rogier 128 | Schaerbeek |
| 146 | Léopold III | boulevard Léopold III | Schaerbeek |
| 147 | Lycée Émile Max | chaussée de Haecht 226-230 | Schaerbeek |
| 148 | Gare de Meiser | avenue Rogier 377-379 | Schaerbeek |
| 149 | Jules Lebrun | chaussée de Louvain 593 | Schaerbeek |
| 150 | Meiser | place Général Meiser 1-3 | Schaerbeek |
| 151 | Louvain | chaussée de Louvain 488-494 | Schaerbeek |
| 152 | Place Dailly | 24-25 | Schaerbeek |
| 153 | Square Armand Steurs | avenue Paul Deschanel 267-269 | Schaerbeek |
| 154 | Plasky | square Eugène Plasky 100 | Schaerbeek |
| 156 | Jamblinne de Meux | place de Jamblinne de Meux 43-45 | Schaerbeek |
| 157 | Héliotropes | boulevard Lambermont 374 | Schaerbeek |
| 158 | Van Ysendijck | avenue Voltaire 6 | Schaerbeek |
| 159 | Masui | avenue de la Reine 153 | Schaerbeek |
| 160 | Princesse Élisabeth | place Princesse Élisabeth 8-19 | Schaerbeek |
| 161 | Demolder | avenue Eugène Demolder 68 | Schaerbeek |
| 162 | Brabant | rue de Quatrecht 39 | Schaerbeek |
| 163 | Chazal | avenue Ernest Cambier 7 | Schaerbeek |
| 164 | Kennis | boulevard Lambermont 284 | Schaerbeek |
| 165 | Cimetière de Jette | boulevard de Smet de Naeyer 322 | Jette |
| 166 | Tref centrum | rue Amélie Gomand 45-51 | Jette |
| 167 | Charles V | avenue Charles Quint 129-131 | Berchem-Sainte-Agathe |
| 168 | Hôpital Français | avenue Josse Goffin 133-135 | Berchem-Sainte-Agathe |
| 169 | Eekhoud | avenue Georges Eekhoud 56 | Schaerbeek |
| 170 | Riga | square François Riga | Schaerbeek |
| 171 | Apollo | square Apollo | Schaerbeek |
| 172 | Aéropolis | chaussée de Haecht 586 | Schaerbeek |
| 173 | Bichon | place Bichon | Schaerbeek |
| 174 | Mennekens | avenue Brigade Piron 80-84 | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 175 | Beekant | boulevard Edmond Machtens | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 176 | Colonel Bourg | rue Colonel Bourg 104 | Schaerbeek |
| 177 | Chasseurs Ardennais | rue du Noyer 81-87 | City of Brussels |
| 178 | Diamant | boulevard Auguste Reyers | Schaerbeek |
| 179 | Celtes | avenue de Tervueren 17 | Etterbeek |
| 180 | Jourdan | rue Froissart 3-5 | Etterbeek |
| 181 | Louis Titz | avenue de la Chasse 182-184 | Etterbeek |
| 182 | Boileau | boulevard Saint-Michel | Etterbeek |
| 183 | La Chasse | avenue des Casernes 4-6 | Etterbeek |
| 184 | Philippe Baucq | rue Philippe Baucq 32-38 | Etterbeek |
| 185 | Père de Deken | rue Père de Deken | Etterbeek |
| 186 | Étangs | chaussée de Wavre 490 | Etterbeek |
| 187 | Arsenal | boulevard Louis Schmidt 2 | Etterbeek |
| 188 | Osseghem | avenue Mahatma Gandhi | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 189 | Place Van Meyel | place Van Meyel | Etterbeek |
| 190 | Terdelt | place Terdelt | Schaerbeek |
| 191 | Artan | avenue Clays | Schaerbeek |
| 192 | Auberge de jeunesse | rue Delaunoy | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 193 | Gare de l'ouest | chaussée de Ninove | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 194 | Stuyvenberg | avenue Houba de Strooper | City of Brussels |
| 195 | Westland Shopping | boulevard Sylvain Dupuis | Anderlecht |
| 196 | Prince de Liège | chaussée de Ninove | Anderlecht |
| 197 | De Smet | place Henri de Smet | Anderlecht |
| 198 | Scheut | chaussée de Ninove | Molenbeek-Saint-Jean |
| 199 | Henri Rey | boulevard Felix Paulsen | Anderlecht |
| 200 | Vétérans Coloniaux | boulevard Jules Graindor | Anderlecht |