Bixi Montreal is slated to launch its 2022 season this Wednesday, two days earlier than planned.
The non-profit organization created by the City of Montreal reports that the Montreal bike-sharing service will kick off its season with the addition of 490 electric bicycles, 31 new stations and 765 more docking points.
Bixi Montreal says electric bikes contributed significantly to an increase in new users in 2021, up 326 per cent from the previous year and 195 per cent from the record year of 2019. Last year, Bixi counted 1.3 million electric bike trips.
As a result, the organization is adding 30 new electric stations this year, including near the Université de Montréal and HEC, at the Olympic Village and the Atwater Market. Bixi also intends to improve its offer in Montreal's nature parks.
The preseason rate for a season pass is $83 before taxes, a 10 per cent discount on the regular pass; it is available until next Friday.
Bixi reports that since Montreal became the first city in North America to launch a large-scale bike-sharing service in 2009, 50 million trips have been made in the metropolitan area.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 12, 2022.
