Vancouver to Launch Bixi Program in 2011?

I would very much like this. Often I walk or take the bus to downtown and while I'm down there I find myself wishing I had a bike to go pickup lunch or visit a particular store.

I saw the Velib in Paris while I was there and lots of people on it, although I know they had a few issues with thefts. I think Bixi in Montreal hasn't had as many problems, although nothing kept outside is ever completely safe.

We already have car sharing (Co-op Auto net, ZipCars), why not bike sharing?

Why doesn't he do something useful, like make Canucks day during the worst time of the year. Oh wait, he did that already.

Good job Gregor.

Just to the above 12:37 comment, I think you mean $78 per year, not month? The Bixi Montreal website shows $78/year. Much rather spend that and take this bike around downtown for my quick lunchtime shopping trips instead of my $2000 commuting bike, which stays securely locked at the office!

great idea, would love to see it work. When I used to live in Amsterdam they tried the same principle in the '70. Unfortunately the concept did not work, no one was looking after the bikes. hope this will be different in Vancouver

I just had a fantastic Bixi experience in Montreal- I flew into town for a meeting- took the bus DT- had lunch- grabbed a bike- road to meeting- returned bike while in meeting- got a new bike when the meeting was finished- road to bus stop to head back out to the airport. Perfect.

I'm loving the Dunsmuir bike lane too!

I just moved to Vancouver from Montreal and I have to say that Bixi can't get here fast enough. I miss it and it was amazing how positive people responded to the system and how well it worked. I was initially skeptical, and there are definite kinks that need to be worked out, but it just gets better and better as the organizers learn travel patterns and make station adjustments.
As to the helmet laws, I would recommend that they be relaxed for bicycles like biki that are upright and slower than road racers. They really should not be treated the same. Biki speeds do not even compare to the top-of-the-line street bikes. It's like comparing a cheetah to an elephant – both are african mammals, but different species altogether.

Love the Bixi in Montrea. It just WORKS so well, sometimes even faster than the Metro. Don't see any official news that Vancouver is officially on for next year. What can I do to get it up and running?

I also think Vancity Credit Union would be a perfect sponsor

You can't compare Montreal's costs with any other city's, because you have to take into account that Montreal created everything from the ground up. Vancouver won't have to research, design and manufacture entirely new technologies and equipment. They're just buying the bikes/docks and managing the system.

You're also mistaken about Montreal's expectation to break even this year. They always expected it to take 3-5 years, so they're on track. More importantly, Bixi has changed the face of the city forever. The true cost of the system will only be measurable in the long run, taking into account all of the inumerable positive impacts on urban quality of life.

OH YES!!! I've BIXI-ed in Montreal and it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING…cannot Wait for us to have our own Bike Share Program. Hooray for VANCITY on this one, what a perfect fit. Oh, I cannot cannot wait ! ride with me at: colleenrides.com

The Bixi system it intended for very short trips and is not particularly cost effective. The Montreal system is designed with stations about every 300 m and intended for travel not much further than that. The cost increase beyond 30 minutes is a major deterrent and I’ve never really understood who the target market is for Bixi. The cost/time restrictions make it undesirable for tourists and not practical for running errands. I also can’t really see it being a reliable method for daily work commutes, such as getting from a transit station to work, because there is no guarantee of a bike being available where you want it, or that there will be a free spot to drop it off at your end location.

A simple solution, that I’m almost shocked hasn’t occurred to any local entrepreneurial types, is to open more bike rental shops along the routes. Amsterdam, for example, does not have a Bixi type system that I know of but bikes are readily available from rental shops, most hotels, and some other businesses, with a basic cost structure that was relatively low (e.g. $8 for a 2 hour rental). The biggest advantage of this is that there is no additional high infrastructure cost such as that associated with the Bixi System, and it’s also a great business opportunity. All it requires is having some sturdy locks on the bikes. Another major bonus: it keeps the City away from spending more of your taxpayer money.

I agree with some of the other comments that the Bixi system could be a big gamble in a city like Vancouver. Not only is the helmet law a limitation, but areas like Kits are very large, making a system designed around spacing stations every 3 blocks even less feasible.

Vancouver really needs to gain more common sense and move away from this constant need for over-engineering and expensive infrastructure projects (often with bad design).

Absolutely awesome!!! Just got back from Montreal and used these every day of our trip!!! VERY excited to get these to Vancouver!

BIXIs are a costly failure in Montreal its city of birth: 

          “Last month it was announced that Bixi would get a “$108-million bailout” from the city of Montreal. The bailout takes the form of a complex combination of loans and lines of credit, but public reaction from people who did not read these details was predictably outraged: Why should people who never use the bike rental service pay for it? ”

http://www.quebecoislibre.org/11/110615-7.html

Problem is most bike shops would need to charge rip-off rates to make it worth their while.   

Van desperately needs a bike rental system.  The public transport system is really not good enough.

30min bike rides are more than enough for the average bike ride across town.  You can always get to a station and switch bikes if you want to go further.

Need to get rid of the helmet laws and make more and safer bike lanes. 

A couple of important positives:

You can park your bike in Gastown without worrying crackheads will steal it. 

You can drop off the bike in one place and not have to go back to the same place to get on a bike.

Only problem with the system is it rains 9 months of the year so only a few diehards would use it outside of the summer.