BIXI
Encyclopedia
Bixi is a public bicycle sharing system developed by the Public Bike System Company (PBSC), which itself was set up by the parking authority of Montréal to create a modular bicycle sharing system for Montréal.
After the implementation of the system in Montréal, Bixi began expanding within Canada and around the world. Bixi systems are now found in the cities of Boston
, London
, Melbourne
, Minneapolis, Montreal
, Ottawa
/Gatineau
, Toronto
and Washington, D.C.
/Arlington
, as well as at the campuses of Washington State University
and Research In Motion
.
In May 2009, the system began operation in Montréal, with 3000 bicycles and 300 stations.
From June to September 2009, the system was introduced in a pilot study in Ottawa
/Gatineau
. This was followed by operations in Melbourne
, Australia from May 2010, Minneapolis (MN), in June 2010,, and London in July 2010. Bixi launched on the Washington State University campus in August 2010, in Washington, D.C. & Arlington under the name "Capital Bikeshare
" in September 2010, and in Boston under the name "Hubway
" in July 2011.
with co-inventor Michel Dallaire, president of Michel Dallaire Industrial Design.
s with a unisex step-through frame.
The one-piece aluminum frame and handlebars conceal cables in an effort to protect them from vandalism and inclement weather. The heavy-duty tires
are designed to be puncture-resistant and are filled with nitrogen to maintain proper inflation pressure longer. Twin LED rear lights are integrated into the robust frame, which weighs approximately 18 kg. The bikes are designed by industrial design
er Michel Dallaire and built in the Saguenay, Quebec
region by Cycles Devinci
, with aluminum provided by Rio Tinto Alcan.
Montreal Rates (not including the subscription):
Toronto Rates (not including the subscription):
A trial implementation in Ottawa
and Gatineau took place in the summer of 2009, with 50 bikes and four stations available until September 2009. While the trial was successful, they did not return in 2010 as no company wanted to manage the project as the National Capital Commission
wanted the contractor to buy the bicycles and locking stations. The project was revived, however, and 100 bikes and 10 stations will be launched in spring 2011.
Bixi's franchise in central Boston includes the right to negotiate to expand the system to neighbouring municipalities. Central Boston will be served by a network that includes 2,500 bikes, and 290 stations with 3,750 docking spaces, with the potential to expand to a 5,000-bike system. The system was delayed, partly because of a lack of funding, but is on track to launch in Spring 2011 with 610 bikes and 61 stations. They had initially planned to set up a BIXI system directly, but now are using Alta Bicycle Share of Portland, Oregon to set it up. Alta Bicycle Share is a sister company of Alta Planning + Design, undertaking all the services to create and manage bicycle sharing systems. Alta Bicycle Share uses the same system of bicycles and stations that are used in BIXI through the Public Bike System Company.
The BIXI system in Montreal experienced some initial difficulties less than two months after its introduction in 2009, with damage and vandalism to some of the bikes. The La Presse newspaper reported on July 5, 2009 that one in five bikes had been damaged and 15% of bike racks are defective. Stationnement de Montréal communications director Michel Philibert stated the organization plans to reinforce racks and is testing prototype designs. Designer Michel Dallaire stated it never occurred to him that people would try to break the stations to steal bikes.
There have since been no significant damage or vandalism issues reported in any of the installations of BIXI.
After the implementation of the system in Montréal, Bixi began expanding within Canada and around the world. Bixi systems are now found in the cities of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Minneapolis, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
/Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
/Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, as well as at the campuses of Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
and Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
.
History
In 2007, the city of Montréal published the "Reinvent Montreal" transportation plan, which featured a bike sharing system as a method of reducing automobile dependance. To design and operate the new system, the city created the Public Bike System Company, a private non-profit company overseen by Stationnement de Montréal, a private enterprise serving as the Montréal Parking authority.In May 2009, the system began operation in Montréal, with 3000 bicycles and 300 stations.
From June to September 2009, the system was introduced in a pilot study in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
/Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
. This was followed by operations in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia from May 2010, Minneapolis (MN), in June 2010,, and London in July 2010. Bixi launched on the Washington State University campus in August 2010, in Washington, D.C. & Arlington under the name "Capital Bikeshare
Capital Bikeshare
Capital Bikeshare is a bicycle sharing system that serves Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia. The stations and bicycles are owned by the participating local governments and operated in a public-private partnership with Alta Bike Share, Inc...
" in September 2010, and in Boston under the name "Hubway
New Balance Hubway
Hubway is a bicycle sharing program in Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by New Balance and operated by . The bike share program was originally expected to be operated by Bixi, but due to lack of funding Bixi lost its contract and a new contract was signed with Alta...
" in July 2011.
System components
A complete station is made up of a pay station, bikes, and bike docks (where the bikes are housed), which are fitted into modular technical platforms that are powered by solar panels. These technical platforms are the base and electronic ports for pay stations and bike docks. Bike stations can be created, expanded, configured and removed in about half an hour, monitored by a real-time management system. Excavation or preparatory work is not required, enabling the installation of a bike station as an adjunct to on-street parking.The bike dock and locking system
Bike docks serve to house and lock bikes. Made from aluminium, these modular docking stations are formed by a combination of groups of four docks, which are modular themselves. Inspired by ANAT technology, the bike dock's modularity allows a pay station to be deployed in the place of a single dock. Maintenance and repair of the system is simplified thanks to a removable module present in every docking station which contains the locking system and all critical components that allow the system to function. In case of repairs, this module can be replaced with an identical one immediately, reducing the down-time of the system. The locking system is based on an energy efficient actuator used in the medical sector. The principal inventor of these systems is Charles Khairallah, president of Robotics Design,with co-inventor Michel Dallaire, president of Michel Dallaire Industrial Design.
Pay station
Users can rent a bike using a subscriber key (a "Bixi key") obtained through a long-term online subscription (30 days or annual) or an access code provided by the pay station (24-hour access). Pay stations are touchscreen-operated and only accept credit cards. A button is used to notify Bixi mechanics of defective bicycles.The bike
The bicycles are utility bicycleUtility bicycle
A utility bicycle is a bicycle designed for practical transportation, as opposed to bicycles which are primarily designed for recreation and competition, such as touring bicycles, racing bicycles, sport/training bicycles, and mountain bicycles. The vast majority of bicycles can be found in the...
s with a unisex step-through frame.
The one-piece aluminum frame and handlebars conceal cables in an effort to protect them from vandalism and inclement weather. The heavy-duty tires
Bicycle tire
A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, quadracycle, bicycle trailer, or trailer bike. They may also be used on wheelchairs and handcycles, especially for racing...
are designed to be puncture-resistant and are filled with nitrogen to maintain proper inflation pressure longer. Twin LED rear lights are integrated into the robust frame, which weighs approximately 18 kg. The bikes are designed by industrial design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
er Michel Dallaire and built in the Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
region by Cycles Devinci
Cycles Devinci
Cycles Devinci is a Canadian bicycle manufacturer established in Chicoutimi, Quebec in 1987. In addition to a full line of road, mountain and hybrid bicycles, it also manufactures the Bixi bicycle used in bicycle sharing schemes in cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Devinci supplies a similar...
, with aluminum provided by Rio Tinto Alcan.
Rates
Rates differ by city. In general, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of free trips shorter than a given time (generally 30 min). A trip that lasts longer than this incurs additional charges, on an increasing price scale. The increasing price scale is intended to discourage long trips, which helps keep the bikes in circulation.Montreal Rates (not including the subscription):
| time | first 45 minutes | up to 60 minutes | 61 to 90 minutes | subsequent 30 minute periods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rate | included | $1.50 | $3.00 | $6.00 |
Toronto Rates (not including the subscription):
| time | first 30 minutes | up to 60 minutes | 61 to 90 minutes | subsequent 30 minute periods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rate | included | $1.50 | $4.00 | $8.00 |
Bixi Developers
- 8D Technologies developed the controls used to run Bixi parking and bike rental and return from the same automated terminal. The system runs on solar energy to reduce environmental impact and maximize the system’s overall energy efficiency. 8D also created a bike-share smartphone app that locates and shows the status of bike stations close to the users.
- Michel Dallaire created the design of the physical components.
- Robotics DesignRobotics DesignRobotics Design Inc. is a company that designs and builds modular robots, founded and incorporated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1997. The company produces mobile robots, robotic manipulators and manual arms as well as custom solutions using modular robotic technology...
created the modular bike dock and the intelligent locking system. - Cycles Devinci manufactures Bixi bikes in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-JeanSaguenay-Lac-Saint-JeanSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
region of Quebec. - Rio Tinto Alcan is the title sponsor of the BIXI program, as well as providing aluminium for the bikes.
- Morrow Communications.
- Michel Gourdeau: suggested the name Bixi, a portmanteau of bicycle and taxi, which was selected by a majority of the people who participated in a contest organized by the city of Montreal.
Bixi around the world
| City | Country | Start Date | Bikes | Docking Stations | Docking Spaces | Name | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... |
Canada | May 2009 | 5,050 | 405 | ? | Bixi Montreal Bixi Montreal Bixi is a public bicycle sharing system serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Launched in May 2009, it is the original Bixi system.-History:... |
http://montreal.bixi.com/home | |
| Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario... Gatineau Gatineau Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census... |
Canada | June 2009 | 50 | 4 | ? | Bixi | http://capital.bixi.com/home | |
| May 2011 | 100 | 10 | ? | Capital Bixi | http://capital.bixi.com | |||
| Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
Australia | May 2010 | 610 | 52 | 1,000 | Melbourne Bike Share | http://www.melbournebikeshare.com.au/ | |
| Research In Motion Research In Motion Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market... campus, Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener.... |
Canada | May 2010 | 25 | 8 | 56 | Bixi | ? | |
| Minneapolis St. Paul Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city... |
United States | June 2010 | 700 | 65 | 1,300 | Nice Ride Minnesota | http://www.niceridemn.org/ | |
| Spring 2011 | ? | 115 | ? | |||||
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
United Kingdom | July 2010 | 6,000 | 400 | 10,000 | Barclays Cycle Hire Barclays Cycle Hire Barclays Cycle Hire is a public scheme bicycle sharing scheme that was launched on 30 July 2010 in London, United Kingdom. The scheme's bicycles are informally referred to as Boris bikes, after Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London at the time of the official launch.BCH commenced operations... |
||
| 2012 | 8,000 | ? | 14,400 | |||||
| Washington State University Washington State University Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university... campus, Pullman Pullman, Washington Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census... |
United States | September 2010 | 32 | 4 | ? | Green Bikes | ||
| Washington D.C. Arlington Alexandria Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as... |
United States | September 2010 | 1,100 | 114 | ? | Capital Bikeshare Capital Bikeshare Capital Bikeshare is a bicycle sharing system that serves Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia. The stations and bicycles are owned by the participating local governments and operated in a public-private partnership with Alta Bike Share, Inc... |
http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/ | |
| first half of 2011 | 1,300 | 150 | ? | |||||
| September 2011 | 1,300 | 156 | ? | |||||
| Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
Canada | May 2011 | 1,000 | 80 | 1,500 | Bixi Toronto | http://toronto.bixi.com | |
| Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... Brookline Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:... Cambridge Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... Somerville Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in... |
United States | July 2011 | 600 | 61 | ? | Hubway | http://www.thehubway.com | |
| Quebec City Quebec City Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest... |
Canada | August 2011 | 11 | 1 | 11 | Bixi | ? | |
| New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
United States | Summer 2012 | 10,000 | 600 | 20,000 | ? | http://www.nycitybikeshare.com |
Difficulties
Some cities experienced hurdles in implementing BIXI systems, including Ottawa, Boston, and Montreal.A trial implementation in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and Gatineau took place in the summer of 2009, with 50 bikes and four stations available until September 2009. While the trial was successful, they did not return in 2010 as no company wanted to manage the project as the National Capital Commission
National Capital Commission
The National Capital Commission , is a Canadian Crown corporation that administers the federally owned lands and buildings in Canada's National Capital Region, including Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission , which had been...
wanted the contractor to buy the bicycles and locking stations. The project was revived, however, and 100 bikes and 10 stations will be launched in spring 2011.
Bixi's franchise in central Boston includes the right to negotiate to expand the system to neighbouring municipalities. Central Boston will be served by a network that includes 2,500 bikes, and 290 stations with 3,750 docking spaces, with the potential to expand to a 5,000-bike system. The system was delayed, partly because of a lack of funding, but is on track to launch in Spring 2011 with 610 bikes and 61 stations. They had initially planned to set up a BIXI system directly, but now are using Alta Bicycle Share of Portland, Oregon to set it up. Alta Bicycle Share is a sister company of Alta Planning + Design, undertaking all the services to create and manage bicycle sharing systems. Alta Bicycle Share uses the same system of bicycles and stations that are used in BIXI through the Public Bike System Company.
The BIXI system in Montreal experienced some initial difficulties less than two months after its introduction in 2009, with damage and vandalism to some of the bikes. The La Presse newspaper reported on July 5, 2009 that one in five bikes had been damaged and 15% of bike racks are defective. Stationnement de Montréal communications director Michel Philibert stated the organization plans to reinforce racks and is testing prototype designs. Designer Michel Dallaire stated it never occurred to him that people would try to break the stations to steal bikes.
There have since been no significant damage or vandalism issues reported in any of the installations of BIXI.
Awards
- Bixi was ranked 19th in Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2008.
- Bixi won the Eco-Design award from INTÉRIEURS FERDIE.
- Bixi was awarded the 2009 Gold Edison for Energy and Sustainability.
- Bixi was awarded Bronze in the transport category for International Design Excellence Awards(IDEA)for the Bixi bike,next to the all new BMW Z4 Roadster.
- Awarded Gold price for Prix de leadership in the OSBL category of the canadien public sector.
- Bixi is a finalist for the "Prix Québécois de l’entreprise citoyenne".
- 2010 Project of the Year award from PMI-Montréal, and a second Project of the year 2010 award in the emerging sector category(Won by Public Bike System Company, supported by the City of Montreal for the Bixi project).
- Bixi was awarded the 2010 GOOD DESIGN Awards.
Popular Culture
- The Montreal rap group Da GryptionsDa GryptionsDa Gryptions is a Canadian hip-hop band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2009. The band consists of Future Shark , Dark Science , Apsobibi , and Ripples Da Gryptions is a Canadian hip-hop band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2009. The band consists of Future Shark (aka Trevor Barnes)...
had a viral hit song and video in the summer of 2010 titled “The Bixi Anthem” which was a tribute to the bike system.
For iPhone
- Spotcycle - available for London, Washington, DC, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Melbourne, Minneapolis
- Bixou
- FindMyBixi.ca
- biximo (FREE): link
See also
- Bicycle sharing system
- List of bicycle sharing systems
- Utility cycling - Short-term hire schemes
- Stockholm City BikesStockholm City BikesStockholm City Bikes is the name of a public-private partnership project of Stockholm in Sweden and the outdoor advertising unit of Clear Channel Communications....
(Stockholm, Sweden) - Vélo'vVélo'vVélo'v is a bicycle rental service run by the city of Lyon, France, in conjunction with the advertising company JCDecaux. The relationship with JCDecaux allows the city to provide the service on a cost neutral basis for the city, and at very low cost to users, in return for providing exclusive...
(Lyon, France) - Vélib’Vélib'' is a large-scale public bicycle sharing system in Paris, France. Launched on 15 July 2007, the system has expanded to encompass over 20,000 bicycles and 1,202 bicycle stations, located across Paris and in some surrounding municipalities...
(Paris, France) - BicingBicingBicing is the name of a 'community bicycle program' in Barcelona inaugurated on March 22, 2007, similar to the Vélô service in Toulouse, Vélo'v in Lyon and Vélib' in Paris, and apparently uses the same system and bicycles as Stockholm City Bikes...
(Barcelona, Spain) - Barclays Cycle HireBarclays Cycle HireBarclays Cycle Hire is a public scheme bicycle sharing scheme that was launched on 30 July 2010 in London, United Kingdom. The scheme's bicycles are informally referred to as Boris bikes, after Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London at the time of the official launch.BCH commenced operations...
(London's Bixi-based system) - B-cycleB-cycleB-cycle is a public bicycle sharing company formed in a partnership between Trek Bicycle Corporation, Humana, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. It currently has bicycle sharing systems set up in:* Broward County, Florida;* Chicago, Illinois;* Denver, Colorado;...
owned by Wisconsin bicycle maker Trek, health insurer Humana and advertising firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky