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Toronto approves bicycle sharing plan
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| mute79 |
finally!
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/20...ronto-bike.html
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Toronto city council has voted to guarantee a $4.8 million startup loan for a bike rental company, if the firm can first generate 1,000 subscribers and private sponsorship support.
"I'm predicting this is going to be very, very successful," said Toronto city councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, who pushed hard for the bike-sharing service.
On Tuesday, city council voted 38-8 to support the plan, which would see about 1,000 bicycles parked at 80 stations across the city in May 2011.
For a fee of $78 per year plus $28 per month, or $5 per day, residents and visitors would be able to use a bicycle.
The Public Bike System Company runs a similar Bixi (bicycle taxi) program in Montreal.
The Montreal operation has about 3,000 bikes parked at about 300 stations across the city.
"At the end of [its first] year Montreal had 20,000 subscribers," said De Baeremaeker.
The city has insisted that the company be able to prove it has at least 1,000 subscribers by the end of November 2010 as well as $600,000 in sponsorship deals to secure the loan guarantee.
"You have to go out and get your sponsorship money. If you don't get it, the deal's off. You have to get at least 1,000 subscribers, or the deal's off," the councillor said.
Programs like the one proposed for Toronto exist in some European cities, like Paris and Berlin, where people can pick up a bike, cycle, and then drop it off at the nearest bike station.
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| VDub |
$78 a year plus $28 a month???
Why the hell wouldn't you just buy your own bike??? |
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| PivotTechno |
I can see how it would be attractive to some people. You can get a decent refurb bike for under $200, but then add on maintenance, locks, lights, etc, plus the hassle of storage and the off chance that your bike might get nicked, and the incentive to rent increases accordingly.
But yeah, people could just as easily go out and invest in a recycled cycle, learn to do the basics themselves, and be ahead a whack-o-cash at year's end. |
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| barbina |
Ooooh I saw this in Montreal last summer and I thought it was a great idea.. buttttt.. its pricey.
and I don't know how to ride a bike.
So yeah. ack that |
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| Silky Johnson |
| quote: | Originally posted by barbina
and I don't know how to ride a bike.
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Barb!! :eek: |
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| Sly_Guy |
| quote: | Originally posted by VDub
$78 a year plus $28 a month???
Why the hell wouldn't you just buy your own bike??? |
my thoughts exactly:
$139 bike from canadian tire
is virtually the same price as that membership for the months of july and august. |
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| PivotTechno |
| now why would you only want to ride during July and August? |
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| barbina |
| quote: | Originally posted by jennypie
Barb!! :eek: |
I knowwwwwwwww .. craziness
Its my goal to learn this summer :) |
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by barbina
I knowwwwwwwww .. craziness
Its my goal to learn this summer :) |
please have this video tapped |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by barbina
and I don't know how to ride a bike. |
awww me too! <3 I can only ride the kiddies bikes :( |
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| ~C~ |
| Great idea, but way too pricey!!! wtf?! Am I missing something? We live in Canada, where we have winter, and snow. Why a year fee, PLUS a monthly fee? $5 a day works. I would only want to use this service randomly, and only in the summer. I always pictured these things having money meters on the racks, so you can just pay for the one day. :conf: |
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| barbina |
| quote: | Originally posted by Intangible
please have this video tapped |
The original plan was for me to teach Penguin how to do something similar, I can't remember what, and she teach me how to ride a bike... then post the whole ordeal on youtube on some random Sunday afternoon. ;)
and omg Kristinaaa.. now I'm not the only one! |
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