But many residents in areas west of downtown are now beginning to wonder when the new Bixi bikes will be made available to them.
Francois Puchin, the communications coordinator for the CDN-NDG borough, says that they’ve been paying attention since the launch of Bixi in Ville-Marie, La-Petite-Patrie and Plateau-Mont-Royal and feels encouraged by the results.
“We really want to have it as soon as possible,” he said. “What we’ve been told is that we’re in the second sector. It looks like the borough will get an installation sometime next year.”
Originally launched last year by the city’s parking authority, Stationnement de Montreal, Bixi has garnered international media attention and has been ranked by Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of 2008.
SM spokesperson Berengère Theriault says this innovative service is the first of its kind in North America and it’s still in the first phase of implementation, deploying thousands of bicycles around the city.
“We’ll definitely touch other areas outside of downtown, so far I’m unaware which parts of the city.”
Theriault says their objectives are to target high traffic areas and where demand for Bixi is strongest. She also mentions that because the bike docking stations are solar powered they'll be easy to relocate at a later date.
“After a year we’ll look at the statistics and see exactly where it works and where people are using the bikes the most,” she said. “It will help us find out where we can put more in the second phase.”
NDG resident and avid cyclist Mike Matlin plans to use Bixi soon and thinks it would be great to have them located in strategic spots throughout Montreal.
“There should be Bixi racks along the main shopping thoroughfares like Sherbrooke, Monkland and Somerled,” he said. “I think most people would appreciate the ability to be able to do their shopping by bike.”
Matlin also loves the fact that this new public bike program may end up getting more people involved in a healthy active lifestyle through cycling.
“Anything that gets people off their lazy duffs is a good thing,” he said. “And that it has a positive impact on the environment just makes it that much better.”
Now it’s up to those living in areas west of downtown to decide if Bixi is worth the wait. Of course the 2,400 custom-built bikes will soon be available from 300 stations across the city at your convenience.
“If we have thousands of emails from people in a certain part of the city telling us they want it,” Theriault said. “We’ll listen to Montrealers.”
The West End to remain Bixi-less until next year
The West End to remain Bixi-less until next year
Now that spring has officially arrived in Montreal, people are starting to embrace the new public bicycle service unveiled by the city called Bixi, a hybrid name standing for bike and taxi.
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Comments
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- Mike Matlin
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:23
Oddly, merely days after being interviewed by Adam who asked me 5 straightforward unbiased journalistic questions, I was contacted by the CBC show Morning World and was questioned on the same subject. The questions by CBC were extremely biased and it seems they did not receive the response they expected. Here's the transcript of the interview conducted no less on Facebook in contrast to Adam's way more professional approach of using proper email. Perhaps someone down at the CBC should read the TOS for Facebook but that's a whole other issue. _____________ Hi Mike, My name is (removed as I don't need to point fingers) and I work on CBC Radio's morning show, Daybreak. Are you an avid cyclist from NDG? I'm looking to find some who are a bit annoyed that the Bixi is not yet available in that borough, or people who are anxiously waiting for the Bixi's arrival (said to be sometime next year). Would you or any of your friends be such people? Please call me as soon as you get this message at 514-597-4461. I would love to talk to you about this. We're looking to do an item on this for tomorrow morning's show so it's rather urgent. Thanks, (name removed) (name removed) CBC Radio Montreal Daybreak (514) 597-4461 (email address containing name removed) Mike Matlin 04 June at 13:47 You want me to be annoyed that something brand new isn't everywhere all at once? That's just a tad unrealistic. I'd be very happy to see the Bixi in NDG but I don't expect to see it here or in any of the 'burbs until it's a proven system with all it's bugs worked out. In Bixi's present incarnation there are NO HELMETS! I am unaware of any official helmet laws, but I still wear one and have been for about 15 years. The present Bixi systems that I have seen are in the downtown core. This means that perhaps 99% of the users will be adults (true many adults do stupider things than kids) who if nothing else are of a legal age where, according to our society, they are mature enough to make their own stupid decisions. I wouldn't be comfortable knowing that the kids in my burough are being shown that it's OK to ride a bike without a helmet IT'S NOT! I for one believe that people who wind up in hospital due to not wearing a helmet should be presented bills on their way out just as smokers should! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Bixi system I think it's great. I would have been more impressed if the city had worked out things like helmets BEFORE putting them up. The politicians look good though, I guess that's what counts. -=M=- --------- I received the following response. I laughed so hard at the first line. So compare the first line of the first letter with the first line of the response, can you keep a straight face? I had sent a one line message asking how they got my name as it seemed really strange that two totally separate publications chose me two questin oin the same topic within days of each other. ------- I don't actually "want" you to be anything, I just thought you'd be a good person to contact re: the Bixi. You were quoted in an article published in the Monitor recently. It listed you as a enthusiastic cyclist from NDG. Also, a friend of a friend of mine just passed your name along - although I believe she called you first. Thank you for your time. (name removed) (name removed) CBC Radio Montreal Daybreak (514) 597-4461 (email address removed) ---- They "wanted" me to be annoyed. They wanted to "use" as cannon fodder. It actually saddens me that the CBC a one time shining star and measure of integrity seems to have fallen to nothing more than tabloid journalism. They even go so far as to have "reader forums" in which the moderators seem to be under the instructions of "let them post what they want, let them get into crazy arguments but if they actually say something poignant or controversial ERASE IT!" A mild mannered friend of mine actually says whenever he needs to be in a bad mood so as not to be a pushover during negotiations he reads the CBC reader forums.
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- mike matlin
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:21
Sorry folks, in the last paragraph it should have read "...use ME as cannon fodder..." As far as "Also, a friend of a friend of mine just passed your name along - although I believe she called you first." Perhaps waiting a few hours, rather than speaking to "my friend" and then instantly Facebook-ing me would have been better than speaking to my friend and assuming she would drop everything in her day to contact me that very second. The warning from my friend came about an hour after the CBC request. (manners?) ALSO, now that I think about it how sneaky and dirty a trick to contact someone through Facebook. I didn't think of it at the time but that gave the CBC reporter 24 hours of access to my friends list. To all those on my friends list, my apologies.
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