BIXI Montréal, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this Thursday, will acquire “megastations” starting next year to tackle the recurring problem of empty or inaccessible stations in certain sectors. Real crossroads containing up to 400 anchor points will appear in 2024 in the heart of the metropolis, we have learned The Press.
What there is to know
- BIXI Montreal will celebrate its 15th anniversary this Thursday. The name of the bike sharing service was officially published in September 2008.
- To respond to the problem of empty stations, given the high level of traffic, the organization plans to set up megastations by 2024, with up to 400 anchor points.
- This year will also mark BIXI’s first winter season, which promises several major challenges.
“It will essentially be hubs where we can recharge electric bikes, take new ones, but also do repairs on site and offer other services related to cycling in general, outside of our own ecosystem,” confides the general director of BIXI Montreal, Christian Vermette.
The bike-sharing service, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this Thursday during a special ceremony at Victoria Square, has never been so popular in Montreal. As of last week, more than nine million trips had already been recorded, surpassing the record for 2022. Five record days of 70,000 trips were even recorded during the summer. “We are heading towards a year of 11 million trips. It’s completely crazy,” says Mr. Vermette.
Despite these successes, BIXI now wants to move on to “another stage” of its growth. Because with 500,000 unique users, the bike-sharing service is increasingly a victim of its popularity.
In June, The Press reported that more and more users are denouncing the fact that the increase in ridership is not accompanied by sufficient efforts to improve infrastructure. More and more terminals are often empty after the morning rush, and their number is no longer enough to meet demand.
The concept of “megastations” could therefore be a solution to this problem. “People will no longer have to worry: they will know that there is space and resources there. It would also allow us to limit the movements of our trucks, since we could put the bikes back on the road locally and thus reduce our ecological footprint,” notes Mr. Vermette.
Several locations have already been identified to set up these future giant stations, which should contain between 300 and 400 anchor points. It is still unknown precisely where they will be located, but the organization’s marketing director, Pierre-Luc Marier, confirms that it will be in the city center. “You have to go to the heart. It’s a bit like giving a lung to operations,” he explains.
A pivotal year…and winter
In general, the organization also wants to “expand its range of products,” says Mr. Vermette. “In Europe, the cargo bike model has already been well established for several years and it works. Here, it is still not very present or in any case very shy. This is an example of things we look at. »
“This is a pivotal year where we want to go from a certain impact to a very significant one, as much as a bus system. We are in eight cities in the greater Montreal region, and with the prospect of the REM on which we want to hold on, we have momentum,” adds Mr. Marier.
All this comes as for the first time in its history, BIXI will attempt to deliver the service in winter this year. Around 150 of the 850 stations will be open after November 15, in seven districts. The bikes will be equipped with studded tires.
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. We are raising the growth ceiling.
Pierre-Luc Marier, marketing director of BIXI Montreal
But the challenges will be numerous, admits the marketing director. “It is a pilot project in which, basically, there will be several tests, both on the bikes and the stations. It is certain that there will be several challenges,” he says.
According to Christian Vermette, “what stresses the teams the most is snow removal”. “We are going to have a connection with the City on this side, but it is sure that it is new. If we want to be recognized and not labeled as the system which is just pleasant in the summer, we must be able to be there for 12 months,” says the CEO.
BIXI expects traffic to be certainly more modest than in summer. “In general, we are talking about a retention of 10 to 13% of cyclists during the winter. That gives you an idea of the potential. But we arrive with an offer where people do not need to degrease the chain, clean the bike, change the tires,” maintains Mr. Marier. “I think we risk having a nice surprise,” adds Mr. Vermette.
Moving forward, at the City of Montreal, we say we are “determined to expand” BIXI’s service offering even further in the coming years. “BIXI is an essential link in active transportation, which helps make Montreal a more resilient city,” says mobility manager Sophie Mauzerolle.
10,000 bikes to replace
At BIXI, the record increases in traffic come at a time when the organization is carrying out a major update of its infrastructure, the largest in the last 15 years. In total, 1000 bicycles will be replaced each year for the next 10 years. The oldest cars, the so-called “first generation” bikes which hit the streets of Montreal 15 years ago, should be replaced as a priority, within two or three years.
Learn more
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- 92%
- This is the proportion of users purchasing a journey or a BIXI subscription with the mobile application. The rest do it directly at physical terminals on the street.
BIXI MONTREAL