Do you like your bikesharing yellow?

The City is coming close to a deal for a bikesharing program. I heard through the grapevine that it might even launch by July (though it would be tough). There are two main hurdles with get this up and running: financing and station locations. The program is supposedly going to operate year-round, which would be great, but which increases the difficulty of finding appropriate locations. I imagine the staff are having a hard time finding any unclaimed space, and would have to pay the Toronto Parking Authority for lost car parking revenue.

The City, I've been told, is close to figuring out the financing. Bixi will have to put forward a big chunk, which they'll recoup in usage fees. The CIty is making deals with some mysterious interests who are probably providing some cash in exchange for exposure. It's all made more difficult that the deal has to be at no cost. It's rare for a public service to have such demands on it, so it's commendable that the staff have been able to get this far. It also says something to how bikesharing has progressed and how cycling infrastructure is such a good deal: no digging, no gas bills, no ticket collectors, no operators. Cheap.

So, anyway, I'd like to bring your attention to the styling of the bikes (hence the image of the yellow bike). Maybe we could come up with a great look for the bikes and present our ideas to the City (I haven't thought it all through).

Some of you may recall the halcyon days of BikeShare's yellow bikes. Apparently the City hasn't decided yet on a colour or name. Since it's about four years since the yellow BikeShare program closed due to lack of funding, I'm proposing we paint the Bixi bikes yellow and call the program BikeShare. It will be to the honour of all the volunteers and staff who worked hard to build BikeShare.

Tags:

city hall

bikesharing

Comments

jamesmallon (not verified)

Just in time for me to leave!

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 08:19

I leaving the city in July (if only it had been years earlier). Oh well, I would have used this, despite my three bikes, because I won't lock my bikes outside a store to go shopping in this town: I wouldn't leave $1000 in my own cash on the street either.

No public money, of course. Because, the TTC works so well with very little. And the 'free-market' model is something to build a civil society and urban vitality on, right? Toronto is so much more livable since there has been less public money for the province's downloading! Thanks Harris.

I say we should change nothing about Montreal's Bixi: not the colour, not the branding. Nothing cool comes out of Toronto, and nothing original. Why deny our character? Be proud of our mediocrity!

jamesmallon (not verified)

Just in time for me to leave!

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 08:21

I'm leaving the city in July (if only it had been years earlier). Oh well, I would have used this, despite my three bikes, because I won't lock my bikes outside a store to go shopping in this town: I wouldn't leave $1000 in my own cash on the street either.

I say we should change nothing about Montreal's Bixi: not the colour, not the branding. Nothing cool comes out of Toronto, and nothing original. Why deny our character? Be proud of our mediocrity!

Seymore Bikes

Old Yeller

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 11:36

Yellow? We could do cooler than that. Besides the only cool thing that is yellow are New York Taxis, and maybe mustard.

Black is cool - Paint it Black

Kevcomm (not verified)

Red like the Rocket!

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 14:01

Give it a classic Torontonian colour: red! The rockets on our street are red, the rockets underground used to be red outside, and are still red on the inside. Red is the colour of TO. Plus, red is not a colour that'll get dirty easily, and it offers decent visibility for motorists.

jamesmallon (not verified)

'Red Rocket'? That's why I bike!

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 15:04

You'd only paint the Toronto Bixi TTC-'rocket'-red in irony.

yahoo man (not verified)

Good Riddance

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 15:32

Good riddance Jamesmallon, Have a nice trip to wherever you're going, and be sure not to come back. Your mediocre comments will be missed. NOT! Red is what I see when I read your contributions! Off you go!

I vote for Yellow bikes, as tribute to Bikeshare, and because Yellow is a visibly "Toronto cycling" colour. Our bike cops wear yellow, police tape is yellow, the dividing road line is yellow, and yellow is the colour of most of the bellies of bike critics in this town. Yes, yellow. All other colours are too partisan and political - yellow is decisively divisive!

And finally, our bikeshare bikes could be equipped with electronic bells that play a ringtone of Coldplay's "Yellow", and the automated stations could play "Yellow" every time they released a bike, just like the OLG Terminals "Doot doot doot- Winner! Gagnant!". The licensing of this song for Bikeshare's use would be an interesting development in funding resources.

hamish (not verified)

the courage from anonymity...

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 22:32

There's a difference between a difference in points of view and an unfair slagging - and sure, we're all human and need some pointers occasionally - but I'm a bit old-school I guess and think that it's low to be so personally dissing while hiding in anonymity. (anonymousely - the new word for it).

jamesmallon (not verified)