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Toronto Bike Share

reaperexpress said:
Although the Bixi station at Union is pretty large by Canadian standards, I'm not at all surprised that it's so used, and it still probably needs to be expanded. In the Netherlands, the central railway stations have enormous bike storage areas for commuters (including popular NS OV-Fiets bike sharing stations) and Union station has the potential to start aproaching that with Bixi. Bixi is quite an appealing option for the final leg of GO passengers, as a faster alternative to walking, or a cheaper (and possibly faster) alternative to taking the TTC. To encourage this, it would help if a route was denoted for cyclists to get to and from the Bixi station onto the roads, added more Bixi stations in various locations for convenience and capacity, and made cycling more comfortable in the financial district.
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That huge Bixi station looks great, but when I rode MY bike to Union Station last week there was nothing to lock up to on Front Street! Whoops!
 
Pigeons and trash.

bixitrash.jpg
 
I'm seeing a LOT of BIXI usage lately in the Financial District, Entertainment District, and harbourfront. I took a few BIXI bikes out for a spin last month and enjoyed it so much that I finally decided to get my own proper city bike (sorry BIXI). I've been extremely pleased with my decision.

The placement of some BIXI stations is really awkward. The one at Queen & Peter occupies a big chunk of the right turning lane. I'm sure it's not actually causing any major traffic problems, but I've seen this kind of placement in a few other locations and it bugs me from a design perspective, I guess. It looks haphazard and temporary. I realize that BIXI and the City face numerous complications in setting up station locations, not to mention widely varying sidewalk standards, but they really have the potential to be very attractive street furniture if properly integrated. A lot of them are great, but some of them look like they've been plonked down any old place with zero thought or elegance (picture a long BIXI station set comfortably on a tidy concrete slab with the last two parking spots on the far end floating over grass because the station strip is longer than the sidewalk and nobody bothered to measure).
 
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grey said:
I'm seeing a LOT of BIXI usage lately in the Financial District, Entertainment District, and harbourfront. I took a few BIXI bikes out for a spin last month and enjoyed it so much that I finally decided to get my own proper city bike (sorry BIXI). I've been extremely pleased with my decision.
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Yep, the impact of these will likely be to incubate far greater levels of cycling in Toronto than previously dreamt of -- within a fairly short period of time (possibly 2-3 years).

And the need for a comprehensive cycling network will be even greater.
 
Northern Magus said:
Yep, the impact of these will likely be to incubate far greater levels of cycling in Toronto than previously dreamt of -- within a fairly short period of time (possibly 2-3 years).

And the need for a comprehensive cycling network will be even greater.
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Hopefully, it gets more suburbanites who go downtown to try cycling. It might erode some of the reactionary views on cycling out there.
 
I should also add that on virtually every BIXI trip, I was asked by interested pedestrians and drivers alike about how it works. The bikes attract quite a bit of attention.

Having more people cycling around wearing business attire, dresses, long coats, etc. will go a long way towards shedding preconceptions (you don't have to be a spandex-wearing grease monkey).
 
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I've seen several people riding them along Lakeshore towards the Beaches, along Unwin, to Cherry Beach, and I always want to stop those people and ask them if they understand how Bixi works. They seem to be getting a little distant from a docking station, and I worry that they're going to receive a surprise credit card bill that will sour them on the service. Will the people at the ferry docks warn anyone who wants to take one over to the Islands? I haven't tried Bixi so I don't know how clearly they make the rules known, but there should be a message received on the receipt when a person takes out the bike that the bike must be returned by this time or these fees will be added on this schedule. But I don't underestimate some people's ability to remain completely clueless even if the terms are announced in flaming letters by elephants in tutus, zeppelins and dancing girls.
 
I saw someone on a BIXI way out in Mimico at the Humber bike trail past Park Lawn Rd! $$$$$$
 
I wonder how well a bixi stand would do on the Island? Its biggest challenge would be lack of access to a second nearby stand in case one is full, and also bixi's inability to get on to the island to help redistribute bikes. If it's used like the ones on the waterfront are used, they'll be full every weekend as people take them from the core to the water.
 
grey said:
I saw someone on a BIXI way out in Mimico at the Humber bike trail past Park Lawn Rd! $$$$$$
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Yup. I've seen quite a few BIXI bikes over there (and even farther, on the Port Credit Waterfront trail).

I imagine that a BIXI station anywhere on the waterfront would do well, actually.
 
grey said:
I saw someone on a BIXI way out in Mimico at the Humber bike trail past Park Lawn Rd! $$$$$$
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Hmm. If you picked it up at the Music Garden that roundtrip could be made in an hour; certainly within 90 minutes ($5.50 extra).

$10.50 ($5 base fee + $5.50 for the 90 minute trip) is still cheaper than a movie or a couple of drinks at a bar.

Toronto Island bicycle rentals were $10/hour last time I looked. Bixi, at $10.50 for the first 90 minutes is still cheaper; provided you can get it back into a stand within 90 minutes. The $16/hour after that is where it really starts to add up; but even at 2 hours Bixi is $18.50 ($5 + $13.50 in extra charges) and a Toronto Island rental is $20.

If you already paid the $5 fee for other trips then Bixi for 2 hours ($13.50) to see the waterfront is actually a reasonable price for a tourist.

I've almost talked myself into it too, if I wasn't working today.
 
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rbt said:
Hmm. If you picked it up at the Music Garden that roundtrip could be made in an hour; certainly within 90 minutes ($5.50 extra).

$10.50 ($5 base fee + $5.50 for the 90 minute trip) is still cheaper than a movie or a couple of drinks at a bar.

Toronto Island bicycle rentals were $10/hour last time I looked. Bixi, at $10.50 for the first 90 minutes is still cheaper; provided you can get it back into a stand within 90 minutes. The $16/hour after that is where it really starts to add up; but even at 2 hours Bixi is $18.50 ($5 + $13.50 in extra charges) and a Toronto Island rental is $20.

If you already paid the $5 fee for other trips then Bixi for 2 hours ($13.50) to see the waterfront is actually a reasonable price for a tourist.

I've almost talked myself into it too, if I wasn't working today.
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It takes me just over 20 minutes to bike from my house at Humber Bay Shores to Harbourfront.
 
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