Montreal's BIXI network opens today as spring season begins
Montreal's bike-sharing service BIXI is getting a jump on spring, announcing it is opening over 60 per cent of its network Tuesday afternoon, its earliest start to the season ever.
Service will be available throughout Montreal, as well as in Westmount, Mount Royal, East Montreal and Boucherville. Some stations will also be available in Laval and Longueuil this week.
As of April 8, as much as 85 per cent of the network will be in operation throughout the Island of Montreal.
The full network will be up and running on April 15 in all cities, meaning the Island of Montreal, Longueuil, Laval, Boucherville and Terrebonne.
The non-profit organization said in a press release that 2023 was its most popular season ever, with over 576,000 users. That's a 31 per cent increase over 2022, already a record-breaking year. More than one out of four Montrealers uses BIXI, said Sylvia Morin, acting president of BIXI Montreal, in the news release.
"BIXI has been part of Montrealers' everyday lives for 16 years now, and its popularity is undeniable," said Sophie Mauzerolle, a member of the City of Montreal's Executive Committee responsible for transportation and mobility, in a news release. "By offering a simple, flexible, cost-effective way of adopting sustainable mobility, BIXI has become an integral part of Montreal's transportation offering."
Mauzerolle said the city is investing in 1,300 new bikes and 32 new stations this year, bringing the network's total to over 11,000 bikes, including 2,620 electric bikes, distributed among 934 stations in eight different cities.
New equipment will be added to the Montreal network throughout the season, the company said.
BIXI said preseason passes are currently available for $96 until April 15, which is $3 less than the regular rate last year.
BIXI Montreal held a news conference Tuesday to officially launch its 2024 season – though this past winter, it offered year-round service for the first time as part of a pilot project, keeping 150 stations available in a reduced area.
Mauzerolle said the bike-sharing service will be continuing year-round in the coming years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.