TORONTO – Karen Stintz wants to explore having the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operate the city’s struggling BIXI bike-sharing program.
Stintz is expected to introduce a motion at Tuesday’s city council meeting that would ask city staff to explore the possibility of the TTC managing BIXI Toronto.
The plan would require the city to invest more funds in the financially struggling bike-sharing program.
“Every form of transportation in the world is subsidized. Whether its air, rail, pedestrian, shipping, roads, public transit, BIXI, they all require a subsidy,” Stintz said. “The question that we want to look at is whether or not we can improve BIXI, integrate it into the public transit network and actually make it a better service.”
Stintz suggested the city never expected the bike-sharing program to turn a profit when it initially invested in the organization.
She also suggested the city could significantly expand the bike network across the city by integrating it with various subway stations and the pending introduction of the Presto card system.
However, the mayor has repeatedly voiced his aversion to additional funding for the program.
“It should just be dissolved,” Mayor Rob Ford said Monday.
But cycling activist Jared Kolb, a representative of Cycle Toronto, suggested BIXI bikes could be used in addition to public transit.
“BIXI is an extension of public transit,” Kolb said. “BIXI or bike sharing program are so perfect because they are perfect for trips that are too short to take transit but too long to walk.”
Business Improvement Areas (BIA’s) across the city have also been calling for the expansion of the program, Kolb said.
– With files from Jackson Proskow
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