[bikeqld] Fwd: [WorldCityBike] Bixi's hits the Street in Montreal

[Michael Yeates]

>>Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 08:27:50 +0200
>>Subject: [WorldCityBike] Bixi's hits the Street in Montreal
>>
>>Source: 
>><http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/montreal-inaugurates-continents-most-ambitious-bike-sharing-program/>http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/montreal-inaugurates-continents-most-ambitious-bike-sharing-program/
>>
>>Montreal Inaugurates Continent’s Most Ambitious Bike-Sharing ProgramBy
>>
>>- Ian Austen/The New York Times
>>
>>A curious onlooker inspects a Bixi bike in Montreal on Tuesday. The
>>city spent roughly $13 million developing the new bike-sharing system.
>>When Gérald Tremblay, the mayor of Montreal, inaugurated North
>>America’s first large-scale bicycle-sharing system on Tuesday, an
>>uncooperative microphone forced him to shout to the crowd in front of
>>city hall.
>>
>>Fortunately, the computer-chip based, solar-powered, WiFi-enabled base
>>station that’s the heart of the Bixi system worked flawlessly when Mr.
>>Tremblay set off on a ceremonial first ride.
>>
>>As explained at the Web site of the city’s parking authority, which
>>oversees the program, it works like this:
>>
>>
>>“The user takes a bike from one of the stations, pays at an automated
>>pay station, and drops the bike off at any pay station in the network.
>>The bike becomes another mode of urban transport unto itself, a
>>practical, economical, ecological and healthy alternative to energy-
>>guzzling vehicles.”
>>
>>
>>Bixi is nothing if not ambitious. The service is starting out with
>>3,000 of the specially designed bicycles distributed among 300 closely-
>>spaced stations in its downtown core. But while it was directly
>>inspired by Vélib, the service that started in Lyon, France, before
>>moving to Paris, Bixi differs in many respects.
>>
>>Chief among them was a decision by the city to run the system itself,
>>rather than use an outside operator, and to fund it with fees from
>>users rather than relying on advertising. André Lavallée, the
>>municipal politician who championed the Bixi, said that the
>>advertising opportunities are more limited in Montreal, while city
>>ownership allowed greater coordination with the city’s bus and subway
>>system.
>>
>>It was at Mr. Lavallée’s suggestion that the development and operation
>>of Bixi be turned over to the city’s parking authority. While that
>>seems an unlikely choice, he reasoned that it already has the real
>>estate and the infrastructure needed for a bicycle-sharing system. And
>>while no politician mentioned it, others involved in developing Bixi
>>said that the semi-autonomous parking authority, Stationnement de
>>Montreal, is also less bureaucratic than other city departments.
>>
>>Michel Dallaire, the industrial designer whose firm developed both the
>>bicycles and the base stations, chose solar power primarily for
>>logistical, rather than environmental, reasons. Because the base
>>stations do not need any electrical connections, they can be dropped
>>anywhere without any preparatory work.
>>
>>The system was directly inspired by Vélib, the service that started in
>>Lyon, France, before moving to Paris. But Bixi differs in many respects.
>>That will allow the city to easily remove them each fall when Bixi
>>goes into winter hibernation. And as demand patterns become more
>>apparent, the city can easily adjust the size and location of base
>>stations.
>>
>>European systems, Mr. Dallaire noted, usually rely on clamping the
>>bicycles by their front forks. That can lead to wheel damage. In
>>contrast, Bixi bicycles slot and lock into their stations through a
>>triangular tab at the front.
>>
>>Users release them in one of two ways. An annual subscription for 78
>>Canadian dollars ­ half price for transit-pass holders ­ buys a chip-
>>encoded plastic fob. Day users can pay 5 Canadian dollars (a little
>>over $4) by credit card at the base station for a day pass. Like a
>>rental car company, the base station puts a 250 Canadian dollar
>>security hold (roughly $216) on day users’ credit cards.
>>
>>The fees charged after that are intended to encourage rapid turnover.
>>The first half hour is free. The second half hour is 1.50 Canadian
>>dollars ($1.30). After two hours, the 30-minute rate soars to 6.00
>>Canadian dollars ($5.18).
>>
>>While the frames are aluminum (and they are sponsored by Rio Tinto
>>Alcan, a major aluminum maker), they are mainly designed to minimize
>>damage from vandals, to thwart parts thieves and to keep rolling with
>>the minimum of maintenance rather than for lightness or speed.
>>
>>That being said, the bikes are quite well equipped and include fenders
>>(complete with a skirt guard), a chain guard to keep pants separated
>>from the chain, LED headlights and taillights (powered by a front hub
>>dynamo), a three-speed hub gear, effective drum brakes, a sturdy
>>kickstand and a bell.
>>
>>“We needed it to be physically robust and visually robust so people
>>would have confidence,” said. Mr. Dallaire.
>>
>>Most of the drive train is stock Shimano Nexus equipment. Mr. Dallaire
>>added a chain tensioner after learning that slack chains are a major
>>cause of breakdowns in Paris.
>>
>>On a test ride, I found the bike to be stable and comfortable. The
>>three gears, while widely spaced, included one low enough for climbing
>>roads running up the extinct volcano which forms the island of Montreal.
>>
>>My only complaint was the relative smallness of the front carrier. But
>>Mr. Dallaire said that anything larger would only encourage some
>>riders to abuse it by carrying a passenger.
>>
>>Montreal spent 15 million Canadian dollars (about $13 million) to
>>develop and start the system, although it is budgeted to ultimately
>>become financially self-sufficient. But Montreal has received seven
>>patents for Bixi and Mr. Lavallée hopes to sell it to other North
>>American cities.
>>
>>“We developed this product for Montreal,” he said. “But we were very
>>convinced that it’s good for any city.”

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