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Toronto Bike Share

Wrote an email to Minnan-Wong about Bixi's expansion and received a wonderful and informative reply:

Dear Filip,

Thank you for the note. Bixi is certainly a success story; what is missing is not the will to expand, rather the absence of additional funding to do so at this time.

BIXI Toronto is a private for profit corporation so they need to make money before they expand. The program is a public - private partnership in that the City provides space on City property, permits, approvals, etc. for them to operate and the City guaranteed BIXI's $4.8 million loan for the start up infrastructure (bikes, stations, trucks, etc.) and to operate the system.

There have been lots of discussions with private property owners about sponsorship of stations, outright purchase of stations, etc. You have to appreciate that BIXI Toronto has been in initial rollout phase for the last month and were only fully deployed (80 stations) recently. BIXI and City staff are interested in expanding the program but sustainable capital funding for expansion is missing at this time. City staff continue to assist Bixi in

Regards,

Denzil
 
Filip said:
Wrote an email to Minnan-Wong about Bixi's expansion and received a wonderful and informative reply:

Dear Filip,

Thank you for the note. Bixi is certainly a success story; what is missing is not the will to expand, rather the absence of additional funding to do so at this time.

BIXI Toronto is a private for profit corporation so they need to make money before they expand. The program is a public - private partnership in that the City provides space on City property, permits, approvals, etc. for them to operate and the City guaranteed BIXI's $4.8 million loan for the start up infrastructure (bikes, stations, trucks, etc.) and to operate the system.

There have been lots of discussions with private property owners about sponsorship of stations, outright purchase of stations, etc. You have to appreciate that BIXI Toronto has been in initial rollout phase for the last month and were only fully deployed (80 stations) recently. BIXI and City staff are interested in expanding the program but sustainable capital funding for expansion is missing at this time. City staff continue to assist Bixi in

Regards,

Denzil
Click to expand...

As far as I can see, Denzil didn't actually say anything in his letter.

He certainly didn't say that he voted against Bixi when the no-cost-to-Toronto deal came before Council last year. And he didn't say that Bixi could expand today in Toronto if the City put up a measly few million in capital costs.
 
k10ery said:
As far as I can see, Denzil didn't actually say anything in his letter.

He certainly didn't say that he voted against Bixi when the no-cost-to-Toronto deal came before Council last year. And he didn't say that Bixi could expand today in Toronto if the City put up a measly few million in capital costs.
Click to expand...

Everyone knows that Bixi would need more capital funding to expand. Whether or not that money will come from Bixi's parent company or City Hall is up for grabs. Denzil made that fairly obvious.

What I was curious about is the status of expansion talks. It's good to know both the city and Bixi want it to expand.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
The word is half, not haft. According to the internets, a haft is the handle of a weapon or tool. Your use of the word "haft" has bugged me for years.
Click to expand...
So your the spelling police now? Don't loose it on the guy, its only a word. Their are definately better things to worry about.

:p
 
Filip said:
Everyone knows that Bixi would need more capital funding to expand. Whether or not that money will come from Bixi's parent company or City Hall is up for grabs. Denzil made that fairly obvious.

What I was curious about is the status of expansion talks. It's good to know both the city and Bixi want it to expand.
Click to expand...

Uh-huh. He wrote "BIXI Toronto is a private for profit corporation so they need to make money before they expand" which sounds like Denzil doesn't plan to guarantee any more loans for them right now.

It's quite a bizarre way for him to put it, by the way. Bixi Toronto is owned by PBSC (i.e. Bixi Montreal) which is a not-for-profit corporation which was in turn setup by Montreal's parking authority and which has received virtually all of its capital funding from governments. If they've separately incorporated in Toronto for legal reasons, who gives a damn?
 
MisterF said:
So your the spelling police now? Don't loose it on the guy, its only a word. Their are definately better things to worry about.

:p
Click to expand...

I kept silent for the last 4 years. I thought it was time to finally say something :p
 
Speak of the Devil, I mean Denzil. Goldsbie is reporting on twitter that Executive Council voted tonight to kill Bixi's loan guarantee. (Along with all the others.) These guys are really getting out of control.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I kept silent for the last 4 years. I thought it was time to finally say something :p
Click to expand...

By the way, the OP is one of the best informed guys around here and I have always found his posts well worth the little bit of extra time to figure out the occasionally inventive spelling. So take it easy. When's the last time YOU told me something I needed to know? Except how to spell of course. That's really helpful.
 
MisterF said:
So your the spelling police now? Don't loose it on the guy, its only a word. Their are definately better things to worry about.

:p
Click to expand...
I'm not the spelling police, but I am a Grammar Fascist. Just as half and haft are two different words, so are lose and loose. If you use a loose haft of an axe, you might lose half of a leg.
 
Your and you're are also two different words. As are its and it's. Just saying.
 
Guys, MisterF was making a joke.

And even assuming it was a serious post (it wasn't), both of you missed their/there.

Hahahaha.
 
Touche ...

And now back on topic -- I do see a lot of Bixi bikes out and about :)
 
k10ery said:
Speak of the Devil, I mean Denzil. Goldsbie is reporting on twitter that Executive Council voted tonight to kill Bixi's loan guarantee. (Along with all the others.) These guys are really getting out of control.
Click to expand...

If I read the report to the Executive Committee correctly, BIXI's current loan guarantee ($4,800,000) runs to 2020 and there is nothing in the report to say it could not be increased. What they want to do is limit the TOTAL amount of these guarantees. See: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-38941.pdf
 
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