The first winter storm gave some headaches this week to users of the BIXI Montreal bike-sharing service. The accumulation of snow and ice at the anchor points prevented some of them from returning their bikes at the end of their trip. But measures are planned to correct the situation.
What there is to know
• BIXI users report having difficulty completing certain journeys due to snow and ice at anchor points.
• BIXI promises to adjust quickly, having received calls and comments in recent days.
• This is the first winter during which BIXI continues its service beyond November 15.
“Like everyone else, I noticed the difficulty of finishing my race due to the accumulation of snow at the foot of the terminal,” wrote a user of the bike-sharing service on Thursday, in a publication from the organization posted on Facebook .
Other users have also noticed it since around thirty centimeters of snow fell in Montreal last Monday. “No problem while riding, but there was snow plus ice at the return station and I had difficulty clearing snow from the terminal to properly secure the bike. I’m going to carry around a scraper in the future,” wrote another Internet user, for example.
The Press also experienced a similar problem on Thursday when he wanted to lock a bike at Place-d’Armes station in the city center. Due to the presence of snow at the foot of the BIXI station, the bicycle frame was too high to allow it to be parked at several anchor points.
At this time, the system seemed to be at a standstill at other anchor points where snow had not accumulated in significant quantities. Solar panels used for power were also covered in snow.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The solar panels powering this anchor point were covered in snow on Thursday.
It must be said that the bike-sharing service is swimming in new waters. This year, a pilot project allows the service to be maintained after November 15 for the first time. It covers an area of 100 km2 including seven boroughs: Le Sud-Ouest, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Ville-Marie, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Some adjustments in sight
Called to react, the management of BIXI Montreal says it is well aware of this problem. Calls regarding this issue have also been received at customer service in recent days, confirms public relations advisor Laura Boily-Auclair, who ensures that each comment is taken into note.
[Nous avons] realized that snow plows can hardly access anchor points when bikes are locked. Snow accumulates there and the cold solidifies it, making the task of removing bikes and clearing snow very difficult.
Laura Boily-Auclair, public relations advisor
BIXI will take a series of measures in the coming days to eliminate this problem. Access will first be “expanded” in the 150 stations that remain in place during the winter, with the aim of giving more space to users, but also to operations teams and truck drivers.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The accumulation of snow and ice at the foot of this anchor point means that a bicycle cannot be locked properly.
It is the latter who redistribute the bicycles throughout the region, every day, to ensure equitable availability of the service. Recently, members of the maintenance teams have “a very narrow shovel, in order to clear the anchor points when they empty or fill a station,” BIXI also notes.
The organization is also planning “additional training adapted to new practices”, which will be given to its employees over the coming weeks. “As with the clearing of streets and cycle paths, there is a delay during large accumulations, but we are monitoring snow removal operations closely to increase the speed of action in the future,” we indicate on this subject.
A appreciated service
In addition to these technical glitches, the service nevertheless continues to be very appreciated by users, as evidenced by many customers on social networks. The bikes work well and the addition of studded tires is particularly appreciated. For the rest, BIXI should provide a preliminary assessment of its winter season in the coming weeks.
This winter will mark a crucial moment for BIXI, not only to consolidate the user base, but also for its reputation in Quebec and Canada.
“We have five more months to find more trips, especially in November and December when there is not yet too much snow. For us, it’s a great opportunity. The growth ceiling, we come to raise it,” illustrated last September the marketing director of BIXI, Pierre-Luc Marier, during an interview with The Press.
“What stresses the teams the most is snow removal,” conceded the general director, Christian Vermette, at that time. “We are going to have a connection with the City of Montreal on this side, but it is sure that it is new,” he noted.
The organization expects ridership to be certainly more modest than in summer, but still anticipates a favorable response from the public, due to the ease of use of the bike sharing system already well established in the community. According to data from Vélo Québec, 10 to 13% of regular cyclists continue cycling during the winter.