Bixi comes to Vancouver

Bike sharing station
Bike sharing station

The Montreal bike-sharing program is coming to Vancouver, for one day at least. The Georgia Straight is reporting that this Friday through Monday there will a test of the bikes on the seawall near Science World as part of Bike Month in the Vancouver region. You can see a map and the hours on the City of Vancouver’s official page about the program.

This isn’t the only place Bixi is spreading its wings to. Ottawa and Gatineau are also getting pilot projects, albeit a slightly more substantial one. This is run by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and comprises only 50 bikes right now. It is expected that if the pilot is successful, a larger rollout could come as early as 2010.

Given we have our own version of the NCC here in Victoria, the Provincial Capital Commission, and we such a tourist destination, where is the bike sharing project for Victoria? A few stations around downtown including at the cruise ship docks would allow tourists to discover all the great biking facilities here in Victoria and also maybe help the poor James Bay residents sleep better at night by cutting down on the diesel exhaust from buses.