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Bixi offers early bird discounts, announces new sponsor

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Bixi-Montreal, the city’s bike-sharing service, recorded a 91 per cent increase in the number of occasional riders last year and is offering discounts this season on memberships purchased before April 3.

Montreal’s Bixi season starts April 15. Before then, riders can sign up for discounts at Bixi.com between March 17 and April 3, including a $12 discount on an $87 annual membership. 

Bixi also announced that it has a new main sponsor. Manulife Canada will sponsor the program for three years, allowing Bixi to improve service to customers by offering a new mobile app and a bicycle valet service at large outdoor events in Montreal.

Details of the valet service have not been finalized, but Bixi said staff will be on hand at outdoor events to allow riders to drop off and pick up bikes more easily. “It will allow us to manage the flow of people who want to use or park a bike,” said Charles Guay, executive vice-president at Manulife.

Guay said Manulife signed up as a sponsor because the insurance company is involved in many causes that promote an active lifestyle.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced the three-year deal at city hall on Monday but said financial details of the partnership are confidential. 

Bixi has revamped its website and said it plans to release a mobile app in early April that will allow users to keep track of their rides, find out if a bike is available at their favourite station and see how much time is available on their trip.

The city is spending $2.9 million annually until 2019 to help Bixi cover its operating costs. The bike-sharing system filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2014. The service was transferred to a city-controlled non-profit organization called Bixi-Montreal.

Coderre said the financial support the city is providing is an investment and will help keep the bikes on the road. “We are proud of Bixi, it’s a strong symbol of Montreal,” Coderre said.

Bixi-Montreal posted an $800,000 surplus in 2014. Its annual report will be released in June.

The Bixi network has 5,200 bikes and 460 stations in Montreal, Westmount and Longueuil. About 181,000 people used the bike-sharing service in 2015. Bixi said it would like to have an additional 1,000 users this year.

The number of casual users surged in 2015 after Bixi introduced a $2.75 one-way fare and brought back a $5, 24-hour membership. Bixi sold 257,986 casual trips in 2015 compared to 135,071 in 2014.

The total number of rides increased by 9.4 per cent, from 3.2 million in 2014 to 3.5 million 2015.

kwilton@postmedia.com


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