Bixi Montreal
Encyclopedia
Bixi is a public bicycle sharing system serving Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
.
Launched in May 2009, it is the original Bixi
system.
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 frame, and the robust frame 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):
, the Plateau-Mont-Royal and Ville-Marie
, spilling over into parts of Outremont
and the South West
. As of 2011, the system has spread to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
, Ahuntsic
, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
, Westmount and Verdun.
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...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Launched in May 2009, it is the original Bixi
BIXI
Bixi is a public bicycle sharing system developed by the Public Bike System Company , which itself was set up by the parking authority of Montréal to create a modular bicycle sharing system for Montréal....
system.
History
The system was launched on May 12 2009, with 3000 bicycles and 300 stations located around Montreal's central core, and it expanded to 5,000 bicycles and 400 stations later that summer. Bixi marked its one-millionth ride on October 26, 2009.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. Maintenace 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 frame, and the robust frame 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
In order to use the system, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of rentals under 45 minutes. A trip that lasts longer than this no-charge time period incurs additional charges, on an increasing price scale. The increasing price scale is intended to keep the bikes in circulation. Subscriptions can be purchased at $5 per day (at a pay station only), $28 per month or $78 per year.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 |
Stationnement de Montréal
The project was included in the transportation plan for the City of Montreal, which aimed at encouraging active means of transportation, like bikes. The program is run by the city's parking authority, Stationnement de Montréal.Other 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 station network
The location of a Bixi bike station is determined by several parameters, including population density, points of interest and activities (universities, bike paths, other transportation networks, and data on travel patterns of the general public. In 2009, 5,000 bikes were deployed in Montreal through a network of pay stations located mainly in the boroughs of Rosemont–La Petite-PatrieRosemont–La Petite-Patrie
Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the centre-east of the city.-Geography:...
, the Plateau-Mont-Royal and Ville-Marie
Ville-Marie
Ville-Marie may refer to:*Ville-Marie, Quebec, a town in Quebec*Fort Ville-Marie, the original name for the settlement that later became Montreal, Quebec*Ville-Marie, Montreal, a borough of Montreal.- See also :*Autoroute Ville-Marie,*Place Ville-Marie,...
, spilling over into parts of Outremont
Outremont
Outremont may refer to:*Outremont, Quebec - a borough and former town in Montreal*Outremont - a Canadian federal electoral district*Outremont - a Quebec provincial electoral district...
and the South West
Le Sud-Ouest
Le Sud-Ouest is a borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:Le Sud-Ouest is an amalgam of several neighbourhoods with highly distinct histories and identities, mainly with working-class and industrial origins, grouped around the Lachine Canal...
. As of 2011, the system has spread to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is a district of Montreal, Quebec, situated on the eastern half of the island, generally to the south and south-west of the city's Olympic Stadium. A part of the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, its borders are roughly rue Moreau to the west, rue Sherbrooke to the...
, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It has a population of 145,485 and an area of 16,05 km².-Location:...
, Ahuntsic
Ahuntsic
Ahuntsic is a district in the northern part of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originally an independent village, Ahuntsic was annexed by Montreal in 1910. It is now part of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville....
, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce is a borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada-Geography:Located to the north and west of Mount Royal, it was part of the City of Montreal prior to the 2002 municipal mergers...
, Westmount and Verdun.
Difficulties
Montreal's BIXI system 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.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.
See also
- BixiBIXIBixi is a public bicycle sharing system developed by the Public Bike System Company , which itself was set up by the parking authority of Montréal to create a modular bicycle sharing system for Montréal....
- Bicycle sharing system
- List of bicycle sharing systems
- Utility cycling - Short-term hire schemes