Toronto Bike Share

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WTF? How did that get there? (in Toronto)

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DSC01634Toronto by queer_central, on Flickr[/IMG]

There are several 'foreign" Bixis here at the moment - I have seen a red one (twice) and rode a green one. See Bixi website, where it says: "Until September 1st, 2011, the international BIXI bikes will be integrated into the network! Indeed, you will be able to use the bikes from the cities of Montreal, Melbourne, London, Washington DC / Arlington, Minneapolis and Ottawa / Gatineau on your daily trips if you can find them!"

 

[Jonny5]

Bixi has added two stations on Parliament in Regent Park. This is the furthest east they have expanded AFAIK.

 

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would they pay $5 a hour or $100 per year subscription when they can get a bike at Canadian tire at $200. And it will last you many years.

You really cannot compare a Bixi bike to a regular bike and to use a Bixi as a regular one is simply not sensible. I bet 99% of Bixi subscribers already have bikes, as I do. I use my own for 'proper cycling' and my Bixi for short trips.

 

[Jonny5]

You really cannot compare a Bixi bike to a regular bike and to use a Bixi as a regular one is simply not sensible. I bet 99% of Bixi subscribers already have bikes, as I do. I use my own for 'proper cycling' and my Bixi for short trips.

Exactly. I have specialty bikes that I can't use for everyday riding. I am happy to pay the yearly subscription to have a bike to use to travel around downtown and not have to worry about maintenance or it being stolen.

 

[CDL.TO]

Bixi has added two stations on Parliament in Regent Park. This is the furthest east they have expanded AFAIK.

Whooo! Go Cabbagetown!

 

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Whooo! Go Cabbagetown!

Yes, it's a good move but they REALLY need to expand to the Distillery too.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Apparently that move is part of a broader move that will see 10 stations moved east and west of current boundaries. Hoping for Distillery as well -- that'd get me to finally activate my membership.

 

[MetroMan]

West? What are those plans? I've always been puzzled why the initial Bixi map didn't include the two most popular bike neighbourhoods: Kensignton Market and West Queen West.

 

[ShonTron]

I live well west of the current boundaries. I'm hoping that they could extend to the Annex at the very least, but I'll sign up once it hits Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy, (even though it is still not quite west enough for me), but they are two neighbourhoods that really should have pent-up demand; the Annex should be a no-brainer.

I figure that ideally, Bixi should go as far west as Roncesvalles, but Ossington would be a good start. Perhaps eventually also taking in the Junction and Bloor West Village, but that's about it. To the north, stations along St. Clair between Lansdowne and Yonge would be nice, especially in Hillcrest Village, but I could see a problem of bikes left downhill, though it's not a prohibitive climb, even with the tanks Bixi uses. Davenport Road is a wonderful bike route.

On the east, I'm wondering what boundary works. Danforth-Riverdale and Leslieville could be promising, but commuting by bike is much higher on the west end than the east, even though the east end has some decent bike-friendly links, such as the Lake Shore path and Dundas East. The Beaches has some merit as well, but not to the north of there really.

 

[GraphicMatt]

It might make sense to only serve some areas in the summer, as opposed to year-round. Stations at Ashbridge's Bay would be amazingly well-used in the summer months.

 

[reaperexpress]

The distribution of cyclists in the city should give Bixi a pretty strong incentive to expand east and west.

For Bixi to be successful, we need to make the roads appealing to casual riders. Just providing a bike isn't very helpful when people are afraid of the roads.

Cycling rates in the west end are easily high enough to justify removing car space to allocate to proper cycling infrastructure. Based on the high level of cycling and low quality of existing infrastructure, cycling is inherently competitive in the area, so the number of people attracted by high-quality infrastructure should offset the reduction in car capacity.

With proper infrastructure and Bixi combined, I don't see why the cycling rate in those areas should be anything less than that in cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and Copenhagen.

It might make sense to only serve some areas in the summer, as opposed to year-round. Stations at Ashbridge's Bay would be amazingly well-used in the summer months.

Not to mention the CNE and Ontario Place.

 

[Torontovibe]

I just noticed a new Bixi station on Dundas, beside the Freashco supermarket, in Regent Park. It's about time Bixi moved into Regent Park. I hope it keeps expanding. I'd like to see it go as far north as Lawrence, as far east as The Beaches and as far west as Bloor West Village and the Etobicoke waterfront.

 

[Filip]

I'll copy a post I made on SSC, but it seems like Bixi has absolutely no intention of expanding (not relocating) the system.

They're essentially pussies. I sent them an email saying that if they don't expand within the first year (or basically by next summer), I'm not going to renew my subscription.

They expanded their network TWICE in the first year in Montreal, yet we're showing higher rates of usage/membership and success. As it is, the network is useless for me and the majority of cyclists in the city. Expanding west into the bike-hungry neighbourhoods to Roncesvalles, for example, would do wonders for users. I just got the membership to support them, but if they're not willing to invest further into our market then I see no need to do the same.

 

[Northern Light]

They're essentially pussies. I sent them an email saying that if they don't expand within the first year (or basically by next summer), I'm not going to renew my subscription.

They expanded their network TWICE in the first year in Montreal, yet we're showing higher rates of usage/membership and success. As it is, the network is useless for me and the majority of cyclists in the city. Expanding west into the bike-hungry neighbourhoods to Roncesvalles, for example, would do wonders for users. I just got the membership to support them, but if they're not willing to invest further into our market then I see no need to do the same.

I think that's rather unfair, not to mention inaccurate.

By the end of 2009, Bixi Montreal had 11,000 members
By the end of 2010, 30,000
By the end of 2011 over 40,000

Bixi Toronto has 3,000 members, that is certainly not better than Montreal, even in its nascent days.

It needs 6,000 just to break-even.

Now, its worth noting, they launched in Montreal at roughly 3x the size they did in Toronto.

However, that was a decision imposed by Toronto City Council, both in failing to offer higher loan guarantees or dedicate the staff time to finding locations.

Bixi does not make a profit (yet) and can't expand w/o the host City guaranteeing the loans needed.

They have every interest in expanding in Toronto, when/if the City ponies up the guarantee for the debt required to finance the exercise.

There's no question their land area was too small to create critical mass; and that was mis-step; but not one of their own making........and this decision, sadly, belongs to the Miller-era council, not the Ford one.

Hopefully it will be corrected. I am told a report will come forward with options for the City-supported Bixi expansion in spring 2012.

Its not yet clear to me if those options will actually be 'recommended'.

IF you want to make sure the City supports Bixi's expansion.....email Denzil Minnan-Wong, he's the Ward 34 Councillor and chair of Public Works Ctte; this is his file.

 

[Filip]

But that's exactly the point. To be successful they have to expand. I'm still confused as to why they chose the one part of the inner-city which probably doesn't have the bike riding tradition as the others. I'd use Bixi 100x more if only it went to places I like visiting: Distillery District, West Queen West, King West, King East, Annex, Koreatown, Yorkville (past Bloor).

The ridership statistics and memberships are impressive for a system implemented in an unsuitable location. It will explode if it expands east and west.