As cities around the world try to get cars off the roads, there's been increasing emphasis on public transportation, ride-sharing, telecommuting and bicycling as eco-minded alternatives. One we hadn't yet seen, however, is a luxury eco-bus used to give commuters a high-end ride to work.

San Francisco now requires that all employers with 20 workers or more offer a transit benefit program to support greener commuting. With that in mind, Bauer's Worldwide Transportation recently launched Wi-Drive, a green, weekday bus service that offers high-end transportation for commuters. Targeting professionals who wouldn't normally consider public transportation, Wi-Drive aims to emulate the comfort of a limousine or company shuttle. Padded leatherette seats, wifi, LCD screens, ports for phones and iPods, and work tables at each prereserved seat are among the amenities Wi-Drive commuters can enjoy, as well as the availability of food and beverages and an attendant on duty. The 52-seat vehicles themselves, meanwhile, run on CNG, propane or bio-fuel, and most stops on their routes are close to major companies or transit hubs. Bauer's will also work with companies or groups of commuters to build custom routes, and it has partnered with pre-tax transit programs Commuter Checks and WageWorks to integrate their offerings as well. One-way prices on Wi-Drive are USD 8.20 for most trips among Marin County, San Francisco and San Jose, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, with discounts for preloading the service's swipe card by the month. A loyalty program, meanwhile, rewards users with points to spend toward future commutes, and Bauer's allows companies to add their own custom incentives as well.

With all the many reasons to reduce driving, there's no doubt it needs to happen, and a first-class alternative may be just what it will take to get high-end commuters out of their BMWs. One to emulate on the roads near you? (Related: Rewarding consumers who drive less.)

Website: www.bauerswi-drive.org
Contact: customerservice@bauerswi-drive.org

Spotted by: Treehugger via Raymond Kollau

We’ve written about urban bikes stations before, and are happy to see the concept popping up in other parts of the world. Spotted in Brisbane: Cycle2City, which claims to be the first full-service facility for bicycle commuters in Australia. Brisbane City Council and Queensland Transport teamed up to fund construction of the facility, which gives cyclists a place to store their bikes and change into business attire.

Since opening last June, Cycle2City has signed up 400 members who have access to secure bike parking, air-conditioned locker rooms, showers, laundry service and free bike maintenance classes at the in-house maintenance and repair workshop. Members are encouraged to commit to using the facilities five days a week (at AUD 120.00 for one month or AUD 660.00 for six months), but three-day-per-week 'permanent casual' memberships and daily use options are also available.

Cycle2City is just one element of Brisbane’s commitment to encouraging citizens to replace driving with cycling—the city’s mayor has also announced that AUD 100 million will be spent on new bikeways over the next four years. As the number of cycling commuters grows around the world, so will the need for products and services that help make a smooth transition from four wheels to two. Bike-loving entrepreneurs—get going!

Website: www.cycle2city.com.au
Contact: administration@cycle2city.com.au

Spotted by: Brenton Nicholls

The deadline for the Best Job in the World may have passed weeks ago, but those looking for a contest-based change of career needn't fear: a new one was just announced that promises the chance to become an airplane pilot.

Malaysian airline AirAsia recently launched the "So You Wanna Be a Pilot?" contest, by which it's offering 10 people the chance to become a pilot. No experience or training is necessary; all contestants must do is submit a blog entry between 1 April and 15 May explaining why they deserve the opportunity. They must also meet a set of minimum requirements, such as being aged 18 to 28, having a good command of both English and Bahasa Malaysia, and having a minimum height of 163 cm. Ten winners will be selected, entitling them to attend the first round of selection for AirAsia's new pilot intake program and spend a day with a select group of pilots at AirAsia Academy. A place in the pilot training program is not guaranteed, but applicants will have a chance to dig further into the profession and maybe even have a go at computer pilot simulation series. "The road after this is yours and yours alone," the site explains. "We will pave the way but you have to do the running till the end."

Whereas the Best Job in the World was designed to focus attention on the Great Barrier Reef Islands, AirAsia's program is more of a fresh twist on the traditional recruitment process. And if that twist can work for hiring new pilots, what's to say it couldn't be used—with varying degrees of modification—to find your next blogger, marketing manager or sysadmin? Be inspired!

Website: http://blog.airasia.com/index.php/so-you-wanna-be-a-pilot
Contact: blogteam@airasia.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae

We've already featured bike-sharing schemes in Paris and other cities in Europe and North America, and recently we spotted a few like-minded efforts popping up in Asia.

First, at the start of this month Taiwan's Kaohsiung City launched its first self-service bicycle rental system, with 1,500 bikes available for rent at 20 transit points around the city. Operated by Tung Li Development Co., the service is accessible via membership—members pay a lump-sum fee in advance and use their membership cards to rent bikes—as well as to nonmembers, who can pay via credit card. Bikes are free to members for the first 30 minutes and TWD 10 for each subsequent 30 minutes, with a maximum of TWD 230 for 12 hours or more; for nonmembers, renting a bike costs TWD 30 for the first 30 minutes and TWD 15 for each half-hour thereafter, with a maximum of TWD 375. Ultimately, the service will be expanded to 50 rental sites along Kaohsiung City's mass-transit route, offering 4,500 bicycles for rent.

In Taipei, meanwhile, the city's YouBike effort kicked off just a week or so ago with a fleet of Giant-manufactured bicycles available at bicycle parking meters in five areas around the city. Six more rental spots will be added beginning next month, the China Post reported. Sponsored in part by Cardif Assurance Vie and its parent company, BNP Paribas Group, the YouBike Public Bicycle System uses the city's EasyCard as its membership card. Users simply place their EasyCard on the sensor zone of the bicycle parking meter; a green 'Take Bicycle' light then switches on, allowing the user to pull the RFID-equipped bike from the rack. The first 30 minutes of each rental session is free; after that, each additional 15 minutes costs TWD 10. Google Maps technology on the official YouBike website allows users to check availability in advance.

Similar programs have also recently launched in Changwon, Korea, and in Hangzhou, China, according to reports in The Daily Transit and the Bike-Sharing Blog. And no wonder, given the respite they offer from urban congestion, rising fuel costs and environmental concerns. There's no end in sight to the continuing spread of bike-sharing programs—or to the opportunities for potential sponsors. One to support in a two-wheeling city near you?

Websites: www.tinyurl.com/kaohsiungbikes — www.youbike.com.tw — www.hzzxc.com.cn

From urban bike-sharing schemes to cargo bikes for business deliveries, there's no doubt bicycle use is on the rise. As with cars, however, parking bikes safely remains a persistent challenge. That's where the Biceberg comes in, providing a protected and secure place for urban bicyclists to leave their bikes.

Invented by Spanish ma-SISTEMAS, the Biceberg is a fully automated underground bike park that can securely hold 23, 46, 69 or 92 bikes—depending on its size—along with accessories like helmets and backpacks. The device works much like an oversized ATM as it collects bikes from, and then returns them back to, street level. Users of the Biceberg are equipped with a microchip card and PIN that they use to gain entry to the device any time they want to drop off or retrieve their bike. Upon entering their information, the Biceberg's bicycle-sized garage door opens to deliver or accept the bicycle into the park—either way, the process takes about 30 seconds, the company says. A video on the Biceberg site demonstrates the device in action. While bikes are stored there, the Biceberg even offers a 100% guarantee against robbery.

Several Bicebergs are already installed in Spain—in Zaragoza, Huesca, Blanes, Vitoria and Barcelona—and the company hopes to begin its expansion into the rest of Europe soon. One to help bring to the bike paths, byways and crowded sidewalks near you...?

Website: www.biceberg.es
Contact: ma-s@biceberg.es

Spotted by: Copenhagenize via Raymond Kollau