This comes out with Time Magazine's list of the best inventions of 2008. It is not the first time that bicycles have been rented, but Montréal has added some new twists to an old game. This invention actually came in as number 19 on Time's list.
What Montréal did was to make bicycles available to lots of people on a communal basis. This is actually a cheap public bicycle rental agency. When Montréal started this they were well aware that the public would abuse it. So when the city built its Public Bike System they instituted some measures to alleviate the expected abuse.
I also nicknamed the new public bicycle rental agency “Bixi.” The word Bixi is a cross between bicycle and taxi. The designers of the system then proceeded to pack in all the technology they could to prevent abuse. This was done in a desperate bid to outdo their customer's ingenuity. They packed all kinds of preventative engineering technology into the bicycles and the modular bike rack stations.
These stations are computer enabled and solar powered. They also designed the bicycles themselves containing tons of sealed components to resist the savage beatings that the public would inflict upon them. They are even equipped with RFID tags so that they are also easily tracked.
So far Montréal has only rolled out its first prototypes with expectations to deploy them next spring. The bicycles themselves way about 20 kg are equipped with 3 gears having an aluminum frame and a very distinctive design.
By next spring Montréal expects to have 2,400 of their Bixis available for public use from a total of 300 solar powered docking-stations. These will be in six of the boroughs making up greater Montréal: Plateau Mont Royal, Rosemont-La Petit Patri, Ville Marie, Outremont, Villeray-St. Michael and the Southwest.
Montréal will not depend on any outside funding for this project, whether from advertising or from the public coffers. The Montréal equivalent of the Toronto Parking Authority put up $15 million to design and build the system. They hope to recover their money except for the research and development through user fees. There is an annual pass available for $78 but the public can also choose monthly, weekly or daily passes.
Once you have a pass in the system you will get the first half hour free and pay in increasing amounts for every half hour thereafter. The Montréal Parking Authority estimates that it should be quite affordable since most bike trips are in less than a half hour's duration. This is especially true if one were to consider the option of transit passes or taxis.
One might watch Toronto too, as the city hopes to have bikesharing starting next year.
