Early stats on BIXI bike-sharing (revisited)

That's about on par with Montreal's overall usage at the beginning, but the difference is that they had way more bikes, so this is a good sign.

I guess my naysaying would spring from the fact that the location and density of bike placements seem dumb. Why couldn't someone take a bike from Parkdale to the beaches? Or from the financial district to High Park? Junction to Trinity Bellwoods? The Bixi map seems to compress a fairly walkable area that is already well serviced by subways. Bixi bike locations double-downed on the way too small Subway coverage (line through a skinny u). Hopefully this success would lead to a more comprehensive coverage area.

i'm begging, absolutely begging, for a massive Bixi stand at Cherry Beach and out in the Beaches too. PLEASE!

Montreal's recent investment in BIXI is to finance BIXI's expansion from a small business to a medium-sized one. They will need loads of cash to get the Boston and NYC (10,000 bikes)contracts to completion.

Nay I say! Nayyyy!!

Now that I got that out, I've used it a few times and love it. Getting a membership soon. Can't wait until they expand a bit east and west. @Sousedbergin patience, they're growing bit by bit. It makes sense to start around the densest parts to introduce BIXI as an alternative to waiting for a crowded street car or jump on the Giant U to get from one major area to another. By "major area" I refer to the dense institutional/commercial/residential clusters that have anchored around subway stations. Now that uptake in this respect is proven, I think there is no doubt the network will press outwards.

Agreed. While it's nice to see a density of the stations downtown, it really would make more sense to have a few scattered outside the central core.

Parkdale, the Beach, the Distillery, and other similar districts that aren't well-served by transit could definitely use a station.

awesome!

I don't understand why there are so many complaints about the pricing being under-communicated.

I think Bixi has made their pricing structure as clear as possible, and ubiquitously available (both online, and on each of their stands). What more could they possible do? Chase you around with a timer?

If you want to see the system expand to your neighbourhood, write your local councillor. That's how it grew in Montreal, and that's what Bixi is recommending its subscribers do here. So get writing people!

Thanks I will write.

Could we get temporary special event bixi locations? Bloor West for Ukrainian fest, Danforth for Taste Of, Beaches for Jazz festival ect.

Literacy is a major issue in Toronto. We really need to increase our efforts in getting people to be more literate. It's the only way people will learn to read. And, maybe, learn to use Bixi and other services effectively.

It's the "$5/24hr" in big type at the start that is confusing. It does kind of look like the rate is $5 for a 24-hour period.

It should say something like "$5 base rate" with the additional rates in the exact same size type. A few examples in small type at the bottom wouldn't hurt either.

To those who want expansion of Bixi into their area, (specifically Ward 13, 14, or 18) I suggest:

Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14), Councillor Sarah Doucette (Ward 13) and Councillor Ana Bailão (Ward 18) are hosting a tri-ward community round table discussion on the Core Service Review. They will be discussing issues and city services important to you and your community, as well as the role the City plays in delivering and funding these services.

The meeting will be held Wednesday June 8th, 2011 from 7 pm - 9 pm at the Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton School gymnasium (1515 Bloor Street West).

Agreed. I have high hopes the service area will expand. At least to St. Clair in the north, Ossington in the west.

That's good news.

I was in downtown Montreal for the weekend, and I noticed a lot of people using BIXI (majority probably out-of-towners/GTA'ers vacationing).

I can cautiously imagine the success during the summer months, especially amongst tourist.
(now, 'bike friendly TO streets' that's another story)

I think the $5 covers and unlimited number of 30 minute trips in 24 hours.

I wasn't sure where I stood at the beginning when I saw them popping around the city. Watching two guys put a stand up together and putting the pros and cons down in my head. However over the last week I have been seeing a lot of people use them and it actually made me happy to see it. Families, tourists, people rushing down to get to the GO. It's a convenient system. And I know in some time I will have to try it. My fear of getting hit by a car has to get out of me first though.

Thanks David and others for clarifying how the fee structure works. Now that I "get it", I'll definitely give the program a try.

It would seem from personal observation that Bixi has exacerbated the problem of the "sidewalk cyclist". Yesterday on a walk down Queens Quay, I saw no less than 8 Bixis riding along the sidewalk blissfully unaware that they do not belong there.

If you are 6 years old and have training wheels on your bike, its ok. Otherwise, hit the road.

Has it really exacerbated the problem, or is it just more visible because of the bikes?

Are these people riding on the sidewalk doing it because they don't normally ride, or because they would be doing so on their own bikes anyway and they're riding a Bixi bike today instead?

I've seen plenty of people on Bixi bikes since it started, but they were on the street (except a few on the sidewalk when picking up or dropping off a bike). The number of actual sidewalk riders seems to have stayed pretty constant, judging by the riders of regular bikes I've seen doing that.

So, I still dont understand the pricing! So for $5 you can have the bike for 24hours, BUT you have to bring it back to a Bixi rack every 30 minutes?

If you take the bike at 1 pm and return it only at 6pm...what is the charge? $5 still?

Read this REALLY SLOWLY Daniel.

Bixi = Bike + Taxi. It's a point to point service for short urban distances.

$5 covers a day's worth of membership to the program (24 hours of Bixi access). There

You can take out bikes as many times as you want during the 24 hours and each trip will be free as long as you keep it under 30 minutes. (If you want to take it out for two back to back sessions, you'll have to wait 2 minutes between each ride or else get charged for overage.)

If you wanted to take it out for 5 hours per your example, your overage fee would add up like this after your first 30 minutes: 1.5+4+8+8+8+8+8+8+8 = $61.5 with 4.5 hours of overages.

You don't know if it's tourists or people who don't normally bike in Toronto, or who people who do have experience biking in Toronto but are using Bixi because they don't have their bikes at hand.

There's never supposed to be a PIN on your receipt, you're supposed to obtain it from the 'kiosk' screen when you purchase the bike, and it's only valid for 5 minutes so this makes ecological and logistical sense.

As for the need for experience when riding? I dunno about that, I've had a G2 for 2 years with only 1 year of what you'd call full time driving and I was able to ride on non-bike-lane roads without so much as a honk from other drivers.

I'm also from Burlington, where bikes flood the sidewalks, so I'm a pretty good case for casual BIXI viability I think

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!

I did read it slowly and I am not stupid. However, the people that designed that pricing display are indeed stupid.

Most people I have spoken to see Bixi as a bike rental...not some point to point commuter (that is what TTC is for downtown).

Basically people will start getting huge charges on their credit cards. Awesome program for tourists. That makes them want to come back to Toronto.

Now I am starting to see why the Montreal Bixi is $100 million in the hole....

That's a good point, but I think the reason why they chose this model when they started Bixi several years ago was that by having a membership model, they could reward loyalty. If it were strictly pay per use, there'd also be a lack of annual membership dues. For someone who lives within their service area, Bixi is highly affordable and attractive at its current rate.

There's also the issue of the huge amount of holds they would have to take on your CC if indeed it had a base rate every time. Check it out 4 times in one day and you'd have over $1000 of unusable credit!

Liberty Village could use a few Bixi racks!

Due to the weather I haven't used my BIXI membership much in the past couple of weeks, however I have had two people ask me about BIXI when I was returning my bike. I was happy to explain the system.

The $5/24 hr or $95/year fee is a MEMBERSHIP which allows you to check out the bikes for free--but with a 30 minute maximum. It's designed for point-to-point trips where you can return the bike to a different location than you checked it out. It's not a daily bike rental (which you can get from a bike rental place--but would pay much more than $5 per day and have to return the bike to the same location).

If you want to use the bike longer than 30 minutes you can either: (a) pay the surcharge ($1.50 for the first 1/2 hour over the initial 30 minutes, $4 for the next, $8 for subsequent 1/2 hour periods), or (b) check the bike back in before your first 30 minutes are up, wait 2 minutes, then check out the bike again.

The system is not going to be "ideal" for everyone, but works well for many.

After limited usage, some things I'd like to see: more locations and a wider area, and some kind of map at each location showing the other locations. I don't have a smart phone so I can't use any kind of app. I'm reliant on the printed pocket map which doesn't appear to be 100% accurate (perhaps some locations changed since the map was printed?).

I know they won't add locations or broaden the area until the system becomes more popular, so we can hope that with good weather this summer people will use the system more and more. It's a system that deserves success.

Won't make it past American Thanksgiving

@Frankjob - too late: the taxpayers of Montreal already got fleeced (but then they just paid off the Olympic stadium not too long ago, so they are used to being fracked by their governments.) THIRTY SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT PACKAGE at 2%. That's assuming BIXI ever pays it back, plus another SIXTY FIVE MILLION or so in loan guarantees. Gee, can I get a loan fro 2%?
Not bad that such a well-received, fantastic idea would burn through that sort of cash in TWO YEARS. Even if you accept the fact that these were all 'start up' costs, how come the city of Montreal swallowed BIXI's cost projections without doing their own due diligence?
[crickets chirping]
Yeah, I thought so.
I am loving this circus unfold. Win or lose, BIXI is going to prove once and for all whether bike riding is merely a fashionable fad or serious transportation for the masses. (Just ask the Chinese in China - they are abandoning bicycles in droves for their shiny new cars.)

<i>BIXI is going to prove once and for all whether bike riding is merely a fashionable fad or serious transportation for the masses</i>

You hear that? Everyone, stop riding your bikes to work and school in case BIXI doesn't do well and gaffe-ly says it's not cool anymore!

Some people are bringing up some valid possible problems with the system.

The old cliche "weather" argument (cyclists will only cycle in the summer under perfect weather) doesn't really hold up. If long distance commuting cyclists are willing to bike in less than idea weather (I have seen lots bike in cold weather, rain, even snow), it stands that short distance bixi cyclists will probably too.

The criticism that coverage is to small and really well serviced to begin with is bit more stronger I think. However, I still see it working well because TTC is so overcrowded, unreliable and unpleasant.

Just imagine you are waiting for a streetcar on college church in October. The streetcar is late, will probably be packed and god only knows when it will appear. If you are going to Spadina or closer, well Bixi becomes a pretty good alternative.

So, even though the lack of coverage holds bixi back, I don't think it will be fatal.

Also from St.Clair will you bring your car down? If you have a single errand or a bunch of errands in a single area, a car is pretty convenient - just park it once.

On the otherhand, let's say you go errands peppered all over the core - well, it's probably convenient and cheaper to either park your car once (or even take the subway down) and then jump on bixi and bike around rather than continually parking you car.

I'm loving Bixi. I live outside the coverage area, but every day when it's nice out I use Bixi for the final leg of my commute... I take the subway to Spadina or St. George and then Bixi south from there, avoiding the overcrowded YUS subway during rush hour.

I do find that the pricing structure is kind of difficult to explain to people... there's usually a bit of a struggle until they have the 'aha' moment and figure it out.

It's not just about reading to the end of a single line. You have to read two lines, in various type sizes, to get a handle on an unfamiliar fare model. Several posters on this thread have commented that it does take a bit of explaining to understand the costs. So clearly, the text isn't doing its job. *You* may find it easy to comprehend, but you are just one person, out of the thousands who might use BIXI.