Rome Shows the World How Not to Run Bike-Sharing Program

In the 1948 film “The Bicycle Thief,” the despairing protagonist crosses Rome in a vain search for his stolen bike. Today, Mayor Ignazio Marino is playing a similar role.

While municipal bike sharing has thrived from Paris to Sao Paulo, the Eternal City is proving an exception. The Roma’n’bike program has been hobbled by crooks, legal troubles, political wrangling and geography -- the city sits on its famous seven hills -- combined with residents’ reluctance to abandon their cars and scooters.