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Toronto Bike Share

allabootmatt said:
This was done very early on with Paris's pioneering Velib system -- just tap your Navigo transit pass and you're on your way with a bike. I believe unlimited Velib is also included in the (modest) cost of a monthly pass. Really convenient and makes the bikes almost an extension of the Metro, since there's almost always a dock at every station and you can continue your journey on two wheels easily.
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If the TTC and Bike Share worked together (which they won't), it would probably result in a cost savings for the TTC if they provided people with Bike Share memberships included in the price of a Metropass since the subsidy required for transporting people by bus/streetcar is a lot higher than the subsidy required for Bike Share.

Unfortunately, due to the way the TTC operates, being able to pay with Presto will probably mean having to pay a different fare for Bike Share.
 
DSC said:
I heard someone who appeared to be well informed say that the City has plans to integrate Presto for the Island ferry. Let's hope so
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This cannot possibly be hard. If these readers can function on buses that go through tunnels and into Scarberia, then it surely can function on one stationary fare gate at the island ferry terminal.
 
LNahid2000 said:
If the TTC and Bike Share worked together (which they won't), it would probably result in a cost savings for the TTC if they provided people with Bike Share memberships included in the price of a Metropass since the subsidy required for transporting people by bus/streetcar is a lot higher than the subsidy required for Bike Share.

Unfortunately, due to the way the TTC operates, being able to pay with Presto will probably mean having to pay a different fare for Bike Share.
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What do you mean "due to the way the TTC operates"? Sharing revenue with other agencies reduces the cost to the rider but does not reduce the cost OF the rider. Therefore either the fare must rise or the subsidy must.
 
Napoleon said:
This cannot possibly be hard. If these readers can function on buses that go through tunnels and into Scarberia, then it surely can function on one stationary fare gate at the island ferry terminal.
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Parks and Wreck only recently lashed out for a new ticketing system for the ferries. Converting to Presto now would make that prior call look stupid, which of course it was.
 
allabootmatt said:
This was done very early on with Paris's pioneering Velib system -- just tap your Navigo transit pass and you're on your way with a bike. I believe unlimited Velib is also included in the (modest) cost of a monthly pass. Really convenient and makes the bikes almost an extension of the Metro, since there's almost always a dock at every station and you can continue your journey on two wheels easily.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about this today, while looking at some courses at George Brown's Casa Loma campus this summer. Of how convenient it would be to get off at St. Clair or Summerhill station and board a BikeShare at the station and bike towards my destination!
 
WislaHD said:
I was thinking about this today, while looking at some courses at George Brown's Casa Loma campus this summer. Of how convenient it would be to get off at St. Clair or Summerhill station and board a BikeShare at the station and bike towards my destination!
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These midtown areas are perfect for bike to subway connections.
 
dowlingm said:
Parks and Wreck only recently lashed out for a new ticketing system for the ferries. Converting to Presto now would make that prior call look stupid, which of course it was.
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Not sure their new system was a waste of effort and I see no reason why they can't have one gate for the cash system they currently use and one for Presto - rather like the subway. In any case, I wrote to them and got this answer. Clearly they are in no great rush to use Presto BUT they ARE looking at it. If anyone wants it faster I suggest an email to Chair of the Parks Committee 'councillor_berardinetti@toronto.ca'

"Thank you for your suggestion regarding the use of PRESTO cards for Ferry Ticketing. We are currently investigating the feasibility of this payment method for ticketing and pass holders on our ferries.


We expect to have a recommendation regarding the use of PRESTO cards for Ferry Ticketing by the end of March. If the recommendation is favourable, a business case for this potential project would be created and go forward for approval.


If approved, this project would be assessed based on priority, along with the many other projects being considered, and then scheduled accordingly."
 
DSC said:
We expect to have a recommendation regarding the use of PRESTO cards for Ferry Ticketing by the end of March. If the recommendation is favourable, a business case for this potential project would be created and go forward for approval.
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Kind of hilarious. In the time it takes to do any sort of a "business case", they could just spend a few grand and go ahead and install a Presto reader on a turnstile. You know, maybe the TTC even has an extra sitting around!
 
Napoleon said:
Kind of hilarious. In the time it takes to do any sort of a "business case", they could just spend a few grand and go ahead and install a Presto reader on a turnstile. You know, maybe the TTC even has an extra sitting around!
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TTC are going to get new ones themselves anyway.
 
I would assume if there is nothing at the TPA board meeting on the 25th then it likely won't happen for the summer...there was nothing in january...
 
mdrejhon said:
"New deal aims to expand Bike Share Toronto"
http://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/new-deal-aims-to-expand-bike-share-toronto-reports/
They even mention bringing it to Hamilton.

Assuming Bike Share Toronto is reportedly looking for smart bikes replacing BIXI (and possibly SoBi technology), I wonder if this is a possiblde integration of all emerging GTHA bike share systems?
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I would certainly like to see some degree of that.

When West Harbour GO opened, I really wanted to see the new station so I took advantage of the bidirectional express trains for Pan-Am to come explore the station and visit a friend in Hamilton. I had some time to kill and had heard lots of good things about SoBi, and it was a nice day, so I wanted to rent one, but I checked many locations and absolutely couldn't find one of the kiosk stations that takes credit cards (their site indicated some percentage of the stations had kiosks - the West Harbour one had been empty on my arrival) so I signed up for a membership on my phone, took a ride, then cancelled the account as I didn't have an ongoing use for it.

It would certainly have been nice to have some form of integration with my Bikeshare Toronto annual membership - not necessarily full member benefits/access on both systems for being a member of one, but just some small level of convenience over having to create an entirely new, separate account.

Apparently Presto integration is being pushed for in the Bikeshare expansion...I was highly dubious of any need for that existing, but after my SoBi experience I think that would actually make a lot of sense. NFC readers are fairly compact...I would imagine the SoBi bike-mounted computers should be able to house an NFC reader easily enough, that way between the extremes of needing to create an account or needing to find a kiosk to use a credit card, a regional resident or even a tourist could use a Presto card...maybe restrict it to registered cards only due to the possibility of damage/loss of the bikes.
 
SoBi bikes already have NFC readers built in for optional SoBi cards, to avoid punching in your member code.

All SoBi bikes also have mobile data built in (3G or LTE) for authentication during lock/unlock of bikes, so could possibly be used for Presto balance updates.

So theoretically it is just a firmware upgrade and backend stuff. I heard anecdote that it is reprogrammable to work with Presto in some kind of lab test. Don't vouch me on theoretical Presto ability by SoBi bike firmware upgrade, but I imagine it's possible.

All 750 bikes were wirelessly upgraded over the air to enable guest unlock feature (I can now unlock 3 bikes at once) so they do have a firmware upgrade capability. Pretty neat, as I am an IT guy.

Good tech coming to Bike Share Toronto, if they decide to switch to a "smart bike" fleet as reported.
 
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We keep hearing this year. But without a signed contract for new bikes this is still a ways off. Lead time for 1000+ bikes is going to be a while. Plus it still doesn't sound like they have their ducks in a row re: metrolinx, ownership, operating outside Toronto boundaries or presto. It would be nice if they had a public road map for expansion. Every 6 months there is an article or two, but not a single new bike.
 
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