Bixi bike sharing system's 2012 improvements

Bixi is back in 2012 with some minor fine-tuning and improved service in one big problem area:

• Bixi opens a bike depot downtown to accept bikes for parking at peak times (the morning) when there is a lot of traffic to downtown, and al the Bixi docking stations become full. At the Bixi depot, you will hand your Bixi to a Bixi employee and be on your way with no Bixi-parking hassles. Something similar may apply to Bixi on the Plateau in the evenings.Full-docking stations is the achilles of bike sharing systems. I hope the Jazz Festival and other summer events participate in the bike-depot concept.
  
• Longueuil will get Bixis, making the first time Bixi's are available off-island. Note to non-Montreal readers: Montreal is an island in the middle of the Saint-Laurence river. A darn nice-looking island too.
• Bixi reveals how much revenue it gets from advertizing on the bikes: $2.3 million! Bixi users pay $5.1 million themselves.
• Membership fee cost is up $2.50 to 80.50 for 8 months of service.
• 5120 bikes at 411 Bixi docking stations for 50,000 users.
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• More info here.
  

Did you know that the Bixis that are being sold to Chicago: around 3000 Bixi units, will be part of a year-round bike sharing operation?