An Early Start to the BIXI Season that now Continues Year Round

MONTREAL, April 2, 2024 /CNW/ - BIXI Montreal is pleased to announce that over 60% of its network will be opening this afternoon in Montreal, the earliest ever in the history of the bike-sharing service. Users can't wait to kick off the season, as it almost aligns with the official arrival of spring. As of April 8, 85% of the usual network will be in operation, followed by the rest of the network opening up on April 15 in Montreal and surrounding areas.

Right now, for a limited time only, users can get a seasonal membership at the lowest price of the year, which will give them access to the service until November 15. Preseason passes are available for $96 until April 15, which is $3 less than the regular rate last year.

"More than 1 out of 4 Montrealers uses BIXI, without counting the 7 other cities in Quebec that have access to the service. More municipalities will be joining our sustainable, active mobility network in 2024. We are so thrilled to be able to extend the season by starting a bit earlier in the month, instead of the usual kick off date of April 15. Following the Year-Round BIXI pilot project, which took place in a limited area over the winter, BIXI has seized the opportunity to use the stations that are already in place so that the network could be opened more quickly. This strategy will allow as many people as possible to choose BIXI as their mode of transportation this spring," stated Sylvia Morin, acting president of BIXI Montreal.

Users can check the calendar on the Bixi.com homepage to see when each city and sector will be opening this year, or download the mobile app to see the network's evolution in real time, so that they can plan their commutes better. Each BIXI membership type has tons of different benefits and can be purchased at Bixi.com, on the mobile app or by logging into your BIXI SPACE. * You can reference the Fact Sheet (1^st section) for more details on station opening dates, planned from April 2 to 15. *

In 2024, the BIXI network will have over 11,000 bikes, including 2,620 electric bikes, distributed among 934 stations in 8 different cities. The plan is to add new equipment to the Montreal network throughout the season.

"BIXI has been part of Montrealers' everyday lives for 16 years now and its popularity is undeniable. By offering a simple, flexible, cost-effective way of adopting sustainable mobility, BIXI has become an integral part of Montreal's transportation offering. With more and more cyclists, we are pleased to announce that we'll be investing in 1,300 new bikes and 32 new stations this year. Now offered year round and more accessible than ever, BIXI will surely attract even more users this year! Let's have a great season, everyone," said Sophie Mauzerolle, member of the City of Montreal's Executive Committee responsible for transportation and mobility.

Year-Round pilot project: BIXI in service 12 months a year as of winter 2024-2025
Aligning with the City of Montreal's vision of offering a new affordable, sustainable transportation option for 12 months a year, the Year-Round BIXI pilot project kept 150 stations in use throughout the 2023-2024 winter in a reduced area of 100 km². The goal of the project was to test the equipment, gather feedback from users and analyze potential corrections to be made to adapt the BIXI service to the harsh Quebec winters.

To date, this experience confirmed the demand for the BIXI service to be available for longer periods in the years to come. Between November 16, 2023 and March 17, 2024, a month before the end of the pilot project in the limited testing area, 53,000 individuals used the service and an average of 3,727 trips were recorded per day, which exceeded the initial estimates. In March, BIXI carried out a survey with 3,400 respondents that showed a 24% member retention rate for the winter season. Additionally, 65% of customers (members and non-members) confirmed that the pilot project gave them the opportunity to try winter biking for the first time.

With the success of the pilot project, Ms. Mauzerolle took advantage of the BIXI season launch to announce that the service would be continuing year round in the coming years. Over the next few weeks, BIXI will be analyzing what went well during the trial period, as well as what challenges were faced and what elements need to be improved, in order to make their recommendations. The City of Montreal and BIXI will be formalizing the future parametres of the year-round service next fall, particularly regarding fees and service areas.

BIXI equipment upgrades and growing popularity
Experiencing continual growth, BIXI was more popular than ever in 2023 with over 576,000 users, representing a 31% increase compared to 2022, which was already a record-breaking year with a 55% increase from 2021. BIXI is so popular that over 11.7 million trips were taken by users last year, with certain days reaching over 70,000 trips a day.

In order to keep the fleet in running order and make important technological updates, the investments made by the City of Montreal, BIXI and its partners have allowed them to implement an equipment renewal program, which began in 2023. * You can reference the Fact Sheet (2^nd section) for more details on equipment updates. *

BIXI Montreal would like to thank its partners
Ms. Morin concluded by saying, "I would like to finish by thanking the City of Montreal, as well as the other cities that offer BIXI services. Their trust and commitment to our mission to make biking a sustainable mode of transportation is invaluable, as we discuss climate change and finding solutions to traffic congestion in the city. I would also like to thank BIXI's employees, its management and all of our wonderful partners who contribute to offering quality public transit services: Loto-Québec, Fizz, Tangerine, Beneva and Rachelle Béry."

About BIXI
BIXI Montreal is a non-profit organization responsible for managing the bike-sharing system in Montreal, as well as Westmount, Mount Royal, East Montreal, Longueuil, Laval, Boucherville and Terrebonne. In 2024, the BIXI network will have over 11,000 bikes, including 2,620 electric bikes, distributed among 934 stations in 8 different cities. Montreal has the largest fleet of electric bikes in Canada and one of the largest in North America.

SOURCE BIXI Montréal