Bixi Toronto reaches 1,000-member goal
Bike sharing program will launch in May with 80 stations and 1,000 bikes in downtown Toronto
Bixi Toronto took another step towards officially confirming its launch next May by reaching the 1,000-member goal set by the City of Toronto council. A party was held Monday night to celebrate the hoped-for-goal, which was topped after AutoShare, a locally-owned car share program purchased 100 annual memberships.
“AutoShare is committed to building a more efficient and innovative transportation system in Toronto, so our support for Bixi is a natural fit,” says AutoShare president Kevin McLaughlin. “Montreal, London, Paris – these great cities have been transformed by the arrival of a bike share program. Bixi puts thousands more bikes and riders into the street – there were a million Bixi trips in just 5 months in Montreal – making riding safer and more accessible for everyone. Toronto’s future depends on a more efficient and innovative transportation system, including more cyclists.” When the Bixi program launches in May 2011, AutoShare members will be able to use their membership cards to take out a bike at any station.
Operated by Public Bike System Company (PBSC) and with primary sponsorship from ING Direct, the Toronto Bixi program is expected to launch next spring with 1,000 bicycles at 80 fully-automated stations in the downtown core.
The bicycles are intended to be used for one-way trips of less than 30 minutes and can be picked up or dropped off at any station, 24-hours-a-day. For registered users, there is no trip fee if the bicycle is returned to a bike station within 30 minutes. For trips longer than 30 minutes, or for unregistered users, the bikes are still available for a fee.
