rental

(Photo: Jay the Commie)

A bike rental store owner is upset with Bixi in Montreal, claiming that Bixi, the public bike sharing service, is killing his business.

Does he have a case? Or is he full of it?

He warned the city in April 2008 that the Bixi project, launched six weeks ago and slated to expand to 400 stands housing 5,000 bikes by next month, could wreak havoc on private shops. Yet the city placed a station 40 metres from his storefront. When he complained, it was moved two blocks east.

How nice of Bixi. They were under no obligation to move the station just to reduce competition with his shop. You don't see Starbucks agreeing to move just because they are competition for the local coffeeshop. What if people actually want to drop off or pick up Bixi bikes in the area? They don't deserve to?

The Toronto Star is reporting that the City is considering starting up a new bike sharing program, similar to the Velib system in Paris.

"It will be announced sometime in the late fall and launched in the summer of 2009," Councillor Adrian Heaps said.

Heaps said Toronto plans to emulate the best aspects of programs in other jurisdictions and would include automated stations, with swipe-card access, with a subscription that would give access to a uniform style of bicycle "that is tried and proven around the world."

Do you think this will happen? Do you like the idea? Or should the city do something to bring back CBN's Bike Share program?