Bixi certainly has many good ideas, but I have serious concerns about their pricing model for Montreal. Note that their rates may work elsewhere, but Montreal already has a huge number of bicyclists and relatively inexpensive public transport. They are pricing the service more like a 'taxi', but a taxi brings you door-to-door, not parking station to parking station!<br> <br>There are no mandatory helmet laws in Montreal (although I think that one of the borroughs might have one), so this is just marketing imagery. The residential street shown is a typical Montreal street with <a href="http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/05/03/they-work-on-so-many-levels/">walk-up plex-style housing</a>. Most of these streets do not have huge amounts of traffic, and there is a growing movement to reduce the speed limits on all residential streets to 30 kph.... <br> <br>The idea of having a modular system is that it can easily be adapted to the demand. In theory, the system could even be adjusted throughout the day, so that the stations could expand or contract as needed. Presumably the system will be taken down in the winter here, when only the most motivated people are out and about on bicycles. It is quite an experience riding on a bike at -30: the seat is frozen solid, among other things. There are still remnants of ice on the ground, and the temperatures are often below freezing, but I <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zvileve/3384105890/">started biking this week</a>, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zvileve/3384104070/">my daughter is happy</a>....<br> <br>Cheers,<br><br>Zvi<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/3/25 Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory <span dir="ltr"><edelman@greenidea.eu></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> BIXI certainly has a detailed and enthusiastic website but I have two serious questions about imagery:<br> <br> <a href="http://www.bixisystem.com/we_are_bixi/" target="_blank"><http://www.bixisystem.com/we_are_bixi/></a> shows helmets on some people. I didn't really see helmets anywhere else on the website -- also not in the photos from the launch. I am not sure what message BIXI is trying to create with that image. The obstacles regarding public bikes where there are mandatory helmet laws are well known to us all.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.bixisystem.com/bixi_system/" target="_blank"><http://www.bixisystem.com/bixi_system/></a> shows what looks like a fast residential street with no separate or even marked infrastructure for cyclists. In fact, it seems that in the process of parking a bike one could have issues with cars or other vehicles in the right lane. With this comment I am not arguing for any solution in particular but it would be great if cities or people get the suggestion that making substantial infrastructure changes on the street is a wonderful idea.<br> <br> Also, BIXI considers it a positive that its racks and system are easy-to-install but I would argue that more permanent-seeming infrastructure is better. Whether it is tram tracks and catenary, a built-up BRT corridor or planted trees etc. in former car space it indicates a commitment from the city and its citizens. Doing something which can be removed just for a pilot can be a good idea, of course.<br> <br> Regards,<br> T<div class="im"><br> <br> Zvi Leve wrote: <blockquote type="cite">Montreal's public bike scheme - <a href="http://www.bixisystem.com/expertise/" target="_blank">Bixi</a> - also has the active involvement of local designers, manufacturers and even software developers. <br> <br> <br> </blockquote></div> [...]<br> <pre cols="72">-- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 <a href="mailto:edelman@greenidea.eu" target="_blank">edelman@greenidea.eu</a> <a href="http://www.greenidea.eu" target="_blank">www.greenidea.eu</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/edelman" target="_blank">www.flickr.com/photos/edelman</a> CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification)</pre> </div> </blockquote></div><br>