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