Watch Out...BIXI Toronto is coming

This week, BIXI Toronto had a members party at the Steam Whistle brewery in downtown Toronto.  The event was a thank you to the early adopters of the BIXI program.  BIXI is a bicycle sharing network that's been adopted in cities around the world.  Melbourne, London (the England one), Washington DC & Montreal already have their own BIXI programs and it looks like Toronto will see the bike stations around the downtown core in Spring 2011.  Secretly, the members party was a rallying event to help reach the target 1,000 subscriptions needed to make BIXI Toronto a reality.  1,000 members, before November 30th, was the threshold needed to earn the program a spot in the city...and what brings out a bigger crowd than free beer?  With said free beer in hand, everyone in attendance raised a glass in cheer when it was announced that 1,000 members had been achieved.  Sure, AutoShare may have purchased 100 memberships ($95 + tax / 1 year) to help BIXI Toronto get over the hump that evening, but I don't think it was ever going to be an issue.  The program makes sense.

Phase 1 of BIXI Toronto will see
80 stations inside the shaded area

The BIXI idea is pretty simple: buy a package (there are yearly, monthly or daily options), find a bike-sharing station, borrow a bike and then return it to any other station within 30 minutes.  While 30 minutes isn't a long time, BIXI isn't a bike-renting service, it's a bike-sharing service.  Stations will hopefully be located at convenient spots around the downtown core and will allow you to quickly get from point A to point B, using an active & green method of transportation.  Once you get to point B, there should be another bike station, conveniently located for you to return the bicycle.  You can do this as many times as you like.  Pick up a bike at home and drop it off a the mall, then pick up a bike a the mall and drop it off at the theatre, then pick up a bike at the theatre and drop it off...well, you get the idea.  The BIXI Toronto website says phase 1 of the role out will see 1,000 bikes & 80 stations around the downtown core.   They've been demoing the equipment over the summer and if you haven't seen them yet, I can report that the bikes are pretty fashionable and the locking stations are high-tech.

When I first heard about the program, I was curious about how it would work with the bike helmet laws in Toronto.  Wasn't wearing a helmet mandatory for all cyclist in Ontario?  I was surprised to learn that, in Ontario, wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle was only law for cyclists under 18 years of age.  Unlike our friends on the west coast who've said it's mandatory for all cyclist to wear a helmet, Ontario gives you the option once you've reached the age to vote.  

I was also surprised to learn that, in Toronto, sidewalks are for pedestrians...sort of.  A city of Toronto bylaw allows cyclists with tire sizes under 61 cm (24 inches) to ride on the sidewalk.  While I don't know the size of the BIXI Toronto bicycle tires (I'm waiting for a reply to my email), I'm sure Toronto will see an increase in bicycle & pedestrian collisions in the downtown core come Spring 2011.

Congrats to BIXI Toronto for reaching its 1,000 subscriptions threshold.  Welcome to the city...I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you in the Spring!