Green Cities: Montreal’s Bixi… Not quite the Parisian Model

Montreal, known for its vehement and wild Habs fans, high levels of vandalism and great city life is going to bring about a public bike rental system. Known as bixi, which is a combination of bike and taxi, is going to be implemented with the $15 million made available from the Montreal parking authority. For details see here.

The only difference between Paris’s bike rental system and Montreal’s is that Paris’s system is owned by a private company. Montreal will have a city-owned bike rental system. Paris and other European cities have had great success with such a system in place. Why? Because the streets and urban environments are much more conducive for biking and scooters. Plus, automobiles are not as ubiquitous in European cities as they are in North American ones.

There has always been sufficient demand for bike rental services in Montreal, and the city plans on bringing about 800 kilometres of bike routes by 2013. This city initiative is the epitome of New Urbanism and smart growth. Montreal’s public transit system, albeit popular, is not as established as cities like Curitiba or San Francisco. Nonetheless, having a public bike rental system in place adds to urban amenities, attracts tourists and will undoubtedly mitigate smog and pollution levels in the inner city.

A city-owned bike rental system is good for urban planning as well. Transportation initiatives in cities across the world are sometimes privatized such as a bus system, subways, and even bike rental services. A city-owned system though more expensive, is better from a planning and policy lens. Firstly, accountability with a private company may not be as adequate as a city-owned system. Secondly, policies and incentive programs for encouraging cycling can be easier to implement through municipal government.

Key message: Montreal is en route to becoming one of Canada’s greener cities. Let’s celebrate this new initiative, track and study its development and think about how we can make our very own cities more environmentally-friendly.