How we got to BIXI Toronto: an almost exhaustive background on bikesharing in Toronto

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16 years ago ago by Yvonne Bambrick.

So BIXI is finally announced: on May 3rd we will see 1000 of the black BIXI bikes sitting in their stations all around the core.

How did we get this point? Well there was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes by a whole bunch of folks, myself included. I'd like to tell a bit of the story from my vantage point. I'm pretty clear on the advocacy and a bit hazier on the politics. I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of people aren't interested in this at all, but it's kind of good to write it all down. It may be useful to understand what went well, and not so well for future advocacy campaigns.

• Way back in 2000-ish, folks at the Community Bicycle Network get the idea of launching a grassroots bikesharing program, adopting the model of the Yellow Bike Program in Minneapolis-St.Paul (via Todd Parsons, my housemate at the time, who really initiated the whole idea in Toronto). The new system is called BikeShare and it operates for 6 years with recycled bikes, web sign-out system and hubs at small businesses around the core. At it's peak there are about 150 bikes.
• BikeShare closes in 2006 due to the increasing difficulty of getting grants. City Council also won't provide any funds. The idea of bikesharing doesn't die and different groups offer support, though insufficient to keep it going.
• Velib launches in Paris. Velib executives visit Toronto to gauge the interest in setting up a system here. They even visit with Community Bicycle Network staff to see if working with BikeShare will work. Reportedly it doesn't work because City Council had just approved the street furniture program which didn't include any provision for bikesharing (Astral Media signs on to provide street furniture in exchange for advertising revenue). It effectively prevents any bikesharing system based on advertising, shutting out Velib.
• There is a transition at CBN in 2007: new board, new staff. As the new Chair I present on BikeShare in Ottawa (at event for environmental non-profits and federal bureaucrats). It's a sort of memorium for BikeShare, describing how it operated and why it shut down. The trip is fruitful in gaining some funds to host a forum on bikesharing (Bikes as a Public Good).
• The forum is organized in 2008 by Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (on behalf of CBN). Surprisingly we find out that Montreal is well on its way to having the first large-scale bikesharing system in North America. We get speakers from Public Bike System Company (BIXI) from Montreal (just as their system is launching), Veolia (a large transportation company in the US which never really succeeded in the bikesharing game), and Humana (a health insurance company which has since teamed up with Trek to operate B-Cycle now operating in 8 American cities).
• I present again (pdf) on what was great about BikeShare and why it failed (expensive to operate with low income). Velib, at that time the biggest and most innovative system, isn't interested.
• City staff and other officials attend the forum and have good conversations with the emerging players in bikesharing. TCAT produces and excellent report (also presentations are archived there). There is clearly interest by City staff and some councillors.
• We invite BIXI to come to town to demonstrate their system to the media (they're the North American company with an actual working system at the time).
• The City puts out a call for proposals for a bikesharing system of 3000 bikes. It would extend from High Park to the Don River. Only PBSC and a local company (with a crazy idea of using the bikes to generate electricity for the city) apply. BIXI is chosen because it's the only proposal that isn't stupid.
• City Council approves the choice of BIXI in 2009 and lots of planning and negotiations ensue. The approval is conditional that the whole operation be at "no cost" to the city (because God knows we don't want to support cheaper forms of transportation).
• City unions strike in summer 2009 and BIXI negotiations are delayed.
• We hear that Councillor Heaps is trying to get bikesharing his own way because his preferred system is funded by advertising. It's delayed because reportedly Heaps is wants to offer first right of refusal to Astral Media through the street furniture program. From the leaked contract it's clear that there is no requirement for a bikesharing system to have advertising.
• Then further internal City politics puts BIXI Toronto on its deathbed. It's rumoured that the City Manager's office did some calculations and decided that they didn't think it would be financially self-sufficient (even with a live, successful example in Montreal). The proposed plan calls for a loan guarantee from the City, which carries a small risk of costing the City more than nothing, but the City Manager's office considers this a "cost". Word leaks out. Myself and James of The Urban Country raise a stink on our blogs (we're now at February 2010). The bike union members send out hundreds of letters to the mayor, councillors and staff asking that it BIXI be revived (with help from Yvonne in mobilizing the letter-writing campaign).
• My favorite quote comes from Mikael Colville-Andersen of Copenhagenize:

"In lieu of visionary politicians who invest in necessary infrastructure and who tackle car traffic, a bike share system is the singlemost effective tool in the urban toolbox for encouraging citizens to take to the bicycle."

• The push-back from the community is a success! The mayor asks staff to look for other financing options at "no cost" to the city. The plan comes back, albeit in reduced form. It passes public works (and survives Heaps) and passes City Council (where Rob Ford and Denzil Minnan-Wong both vote against it). Now only 1000 bikes (the minimum they figure they can install to make it sustainable) are planned and a few milestones need to be met (minimum 1000 memberships purchased, $600,000 in sponsorship per year for first three years).
• Ding! We get the 1000 memberships before the fall 2010 deadline! City has staff moving a demo station all around the core all summer long to convince people to sign up. Credit goes to all their hard work, and that of the community in promoting it. It's surprising how many people sign up for $100 even though they only try the demo bike once.
• ING Direct signs on for $450,000 (the Dutch company puts its weight behind cycling!). City staff continue to negotiate for the rest. Sean Wheldrake puts in lots of work to get all the sponsorships. Pauline Craig and others tackles all the different agendas on getting space all around town for the BIXI stations. The sponsorship negotiations drags on and on. Official word was expected in December, then pushed back to January, then February, and finally March.
• March 15, 2011 they announce the May 3 launch. Sponsorship details to follow next month. I've heard that we may be surprised (pleasantly and otherwise).
• March 16 BIXI posts job for Toronto Operations Manager a strong sign that there's no backing down now. By the way, know anyone who can do the job? Maybe Heaps? (shudder)

The cost of expansion - $2 million for each 1000 more bikes - is peanuts in the city's transportation budget. It should be a no-brainer to invest in something with so much payback. Problem is, there are plenty of people in politics who don't use their brains. On we struggle.