BIXI Rolls Into London
By Bixi - Public Bike System Company, PRNEThursday, July 29, 2010
MONTREAL, July 30, 2010 - Today, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, launched the latest addition
to the BIXI franchise. London is adding its name to an impressive list of
world metropolises including Montreal, Melbourne, Boston, Washington and
Minneapolis that have adopted the BIXI public bike system as an active and
environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional modes of urban
transport. In fact, London will be BIXI's largest undertaking so far, with
6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations ready to roll in
the project's first phase, with extensions to the system definitely on the
horizon.
To view the Social Media Release, click here:
smr.newswire.ca/en/bixi/bixi-rolls-into-london
The system in London was developed in partnership with SERCO, one of the
world's leading services and outsourcing companies, for Transport for London
(TfL), and will be called Barclays Cycle Hire, after its principal sponsor.
The Public Bike System Company (PBSC) which runs BIXI is responsible for
providing the bikes, docking points, terminals, and the technological
platform that controls on-street operations, not to mention access keys
and the transactional Website where users can subscribe. "We're very proud
of what we've been able to accomplish in London," said Roger Plamondon,
chairman of the board of the Public Bike System Company (PBSC). "It proves
once again that BIXI's versatility makes it the system of choice around
the globe for cities and organizations, large and small."
To adapt to London's climate and driving conditions, 43 modifications
were made to the BIXI bikes used in Montreal, everything from brake control
positioning to wider mudguards. Changes were also made to the terminals and
related software. "The fact that we were able to incorporate so many design
modifications," commented Alain Ayotte, president of PBSC, "means that the
BIXI design is so intrinsically sound that it can be adapted to the demands
of any city in the world."
About BIXI
Launched in the spring of 2009, BIXI is the public bike system for the
City of Montreal. This service allows residents to take a bike from any
station, ride it away and return it to any other station in the network. The
system now boasts 400 stations and 5,000 bikes throughout the territory of
Montreal.
Honored with numerous awards
BIXI is now a fixture on Montreal's urban landscape and an undeniable
success. In November 2009, the management team behind the project earned Gold
at the Canadian Public Sector Leadership Awards and received the same honor
from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. The system had already
won considerable renown on the international stage, including placing 19th in
Time magazine's list of the best inventions of 2008, a Gold Edison New
Products Award in the Energy and Sustainable Development category, along with
a bronze from the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the
Transportation category.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available
at photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the
media/
For further information: Anne-Marie Battista, Executive Secretary,
+1-514-789-2494, ABattista@publicbikesystem.com; Lynda Cahill, Client Service
Manager, +1-514-789-2494, LCahill@publicbikesystem.com
For further information: Anne-Marie Battista, Executive Secretary,
+1-514-789-2494, ABattista at publicbikesystem.com; Lynda Cahill, Client Service
Manager, +1-514-789-2494, LCahill at publicbikesystem.com
Tags: Bixi - Public Bike System Company, canada, England, July 30, Montreal