Montreal mayor unveils new Bixi app at official launch

MONTREAL — Bixi cyclists can use their smartphones to check where bikes and parking spots are available, track the life and meanderings of a Bixi bike on Facebook and use their fat-tired rides on an additional 35 kilometres of bike paths being added to the city’s network this year.

These were among the highlights as the city officially launched the fifth season of Bixi and presented its plans for the city’s 602-kilometre bike path network Thursday. The popular bike-sharing service, which had 49,000 members in 2012, was available as of Monday, two weeks after last year’s start because of this winter’s uncharacteristic staying power.

“Bixi is the pride of Montreal. It’s a Montreal invention, built in Quebec and now available in several cities,” said Mayor Michael Applebaum. “In May it will be in New York City.” Its arrival also heralds the true start of spring, Applebaum said.

The free, official Bixi smartphone app (download by typing Bixi into the search engine and choosing the app labelled Bixi, PBSC Urban Solutions) lets users know the number of bikes available at docks closest to their location. More importantly for those frustrated by not having a place to park once they arrive, the application also shows how many spaces are available at docks near their destination and how far away they are in metres. The program also has a timer to remind users how long they’ve been on the bike, and up-to-the-minute weather forecasts (at the time of this writing on Thursday afternoon, it’s 9C and there will probably be light rain for the next 11 minutes, the app says). Bixi, which is controlled by the city of Montreal, said it has improved its computer system that monitors bike locations and dock availability to ensure better distribution.

An annual membership costs $82.50, a monthly membership $31.25. For occasional users, the price of a one-time trip is still $5, but cyclists now have a 45-minute limit instead of 30 minutes, and will no longer have to put a $250 security deposit on their credit card.

For the first time this year, Bixi aficionados can track and influence the life-cycle of a Bixi bike on Facebook. Posts will be added by users and Bixi employees, its whereabouts will be tracked, as well as its visit to the service centre Cyclochrome for repair and renewal. Bike number A07566 will be clearly marked as the Facebook bike.

Montreal expanded Bixi this year, adding 50 docking stations and bringing the total to 411 stations and 5,120 bikes throughout the city, Westmount and Longueuil.

For its bike path network, the city is spending $10 million on 37 new projects, updating nine sites and adding 35 kilometres of bike paths. Projects include improving the path on St-Laurent Blvd. between Bernard and de Bellechasse Sts. and adding a path on Arcade St. between Clark St. and St-Laurent Blvd.

The de Maisonneuve bike path will be extended from Berri St. to Alexandre-de-Sève, allowing a secure access to the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

The city is launching a smartphone app called Mon RésoVélo in the coming weeks that will collect information on where cyclists travel and use that information to better plan its urban bike network, which it has pledged to extend to 800 kilometres.

For a map of the city’s bike network, go to www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/velo. A hard copy will be available in mid-May at Accès-Montreal offices, libraries and bike and sport stores.