Bixi (company)

Bixi

Type	Privately held
Successor	PBSC Urban Solutions
Founded	2008
Defunct	2014
Headquarters	Montreal, Canada
Area served	Worldwide
Services	Bicycle sharing system
Revenue	CAD 51 million (FY 2011)[1]
Net income	CAD 1.5 million (FY 2011) [1]
Website	http://bixi.com/

Bixi, officially Société de Vélo en Libre-Service, was a not-for-profit and public bicycle sharing system developed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.^[2][3]

After the 2008 implementation of the system in Montreal, Bixi began expanding around the world. Bixi systems are now found across North America. Bixi equipment is used in several Bicycle Share systems in North America, most of which are operated by Motivate. Bixi systems have also been installed in London, England and Melbourne, Australia.

On January 20, 2014, Bixi Montreal filed for bankruptcy.^[4] Over the course of 2014, Bruno Rodi purchased the international division of Bixi and renamed it PBSC Urban Solutions. Luc Sabbatini became CEO of the company in January 2015.^[5]

The name Bixi is a portmanteau of bicycle and taxi.

History

In 2007, the city of Montreal published the "Reinvent Montreal" transportation plan, which featured a bike sharing system as a method of reducing automobile dependence. To design and operate the new system, the city created the Public Bike System Company (PBSC), a private non-profit company overseen by Stationnement de Montréal, a private enterprise serving as the Montreal Parking authority.^[6]

In May 2009, the system began operation in Montreal, with 3000 bicycles and 300 stations.

From June to September 2009, the system was introduced in a pilot study in Ottawa/Gatineau.^[7] This was followed by operations in Melbourne, Australia from May 2010,^[8] Minneapolis (MN), in June 2010,^[9] and London in July 2010.^[10] Bixi launched on the Washington State University campus in August 2010, in Washington, D.C. & Arlington under the name "Capital Bikeshare" in September 2010, and in Boston under the name "Hubway" in July 2011.

In January 2014 the company filed for bankruptcy in Montreal citing $46 million in debt. Part of the issue in the bankruptcy was that Chicago and New York were withholding $5 million in payments because of software issues with the docking stations.^[11]

Developers

A Bixi user accessing Bixi information using his mobile phone.

• 8D Technologies developed the entire technological platform behind the Bixi system, including the wireless bike station terminals, the RFID bike dock technology and all software systems.^{[12][13][14][15]} The system runs on solar energy to reduce environmental impact and maximize the system’s overall energy efficiency. 8D also created the Spotcycle bike-share smartphone app that locates and shows the status of bike stations close to the users.^[16]
• Michel Dallaire created the design of the physical components.^[17][18]
• Robotics Design created the modular bike dock and the intelligent locking system.^[19]
• Cycles Devinci manufactures Bixi bikes in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec.^[20]
• Rio Tinto Alcan is the title sponsor of the BIXI program, as well as providing aluminium for the bikes.^[21]
• Morrow Communications.^[22]
• Michel Gourdeau suggested the name Bixi, a portmanteau of bicycle and taxi, which was selected by a majority of the people who participated in a contest organized by the city of Montreal.

2014 bankruptcy

In January 2014, Bixi filed for bankruptcy in Montreal citing $46 million in debt. Part of the issue in the bankruptcy was that Chicago and New York were withholding $5 million in payments because of software issues with the docking stations.^[11] In February 2014, the city of Montreal bought all Bixi assets, with the intention of selling the international division of the bankrupt company.^[23] On April 9, 2014, Bruno Rodi, a Quebec businessman, bought Bixi's international division for $4 million^[24] and renamed it PBSC Urban Solutions.^[25][26]

Operational difficulties

Several cities experienced hurdles in implementing BIXI systems.

A trial implementation in Ottawa and Gatineau took place in the summer of 2009, with 50 bikes and four stations available until September 2009. While the trial was successful, they did not return in 2010 since no company wanted to manage the project as the National Capital Commission wanted the contractor to buy the bicycles and locking stations.^[27] The project was revived, however, and 100 bikes and 10 stations were launched in spring 2011.^[28]

Bixi's franchise in central Boston includes the right to negotiate to expand the system to neighboring municipalities. Central Boston will be served by a network that includes 2,500 bikes, and 290 stations with 3,750 docking spaces, with the potential to expand to a 5,000-bike system. The system was delayed, partly because of a lack of funding, but launched in Spring 2011 with 610 bikes and 61 stations.^[29] It has since grown into the neighboring communities of Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville. They had initially planned to set up a BIXI system directly, but now are using Alta Bicycle Share of Portland, Oregon^[30] to set it up.^[28] Alta Bicycle Share is a sister company of Alta Planning + Design,^[31] undertaking all the services to create and manage bicycle sharing systems. Alta Bicycle Share uses the same system of bicycles and stations that are used in BIXI through the Public Bike System Company.^[32]

The BIXI system in Montreal experienced some initial difficulties less than two months after its introduction in 2009, with damage and vandalism to some of the bikes. The newspaper La Presse reported on July 5, 2009 that one in five bikes had been damaged and 15% of bike racks are defective. Stationnement de Montréal communications director Michel Philibert stated the organization plans to reinforce racks and is testing prototype designs.^[33] Designer Michel Dallaire stated it never occurred to him that people would try to break the stations to steal bikes. ^[18] There have since been no significant damage or vandalism issues reported in any of the installations of BIXI.

In 2012 a legal dispute over software from 8D Technologies brought implementation delays for Chattanooga, New York and San Francisco.^[34]

In 2013 it was reported that the Toronto Bixi system is facing financial troubles and will be operated by Toronto Parking Authority in Spring 2014 under a different name. The system has only paid back $600,000 of its $4,500,000 start up loan.^[35] The unexpectedly rapid expansion of export business created cash flow problems for the parent company, PBSC Urban Solutions, who attempted to sell the international operations in June.^[36]

Awards

• Bixi was ranked 19th in Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2008.^[37]
• Bixi won the Eco-Design award from INTÉRIEURS FERDIE.^[38]
• Bixi was awarded the 2009 Gold Edison for Energy and Sustainability.^[39]
• Bixi was awarded Bronze in the transport category for International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for the Bixi bike, next to the all new BMW Z4 Roadster.
• Awarded Gold price for Prix de leadership in the Organisme Sans But Lucratif (OSBL) category of the Canadian public sector.
• Bixi is a finalist for the "Prix Québécois de l’entreprise citoyenne".
• 2010 Project of the Year award from PMI-Montréal, and a second Project of the year 2010 award in the emerging sector category (won by Public Bike System Company, supported by the City of Montreal for the Bixi project).
• Bixi was awarded the 2010 GOOD DESIGN Awards.^[40]

Effects

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health reports observing^[41]

a greater likelihood of cycling for those exposed to the public bicycle share program after the second season of implementation (odds ratio = 2.86; 95% confidence interval = 1.85, 4.42) after we controlled for weather, built environment, and individual variables.

In popular culture

• The Montreal rap group Da Gryptions had a viral hit song and video in the summer of 2010 titled "The Bixi Anthem"^[42] which was a tribute to the bike system.

See also

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bixi (bicycle sharing system).

• Official website
• Ottawa-Gatineau site
• Bixi system
• bixomo iPhone app