Bixi expands beyond Montreal, adding 4 new cities this spring

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 1:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

More Quebecers volition beryllium capable to thrust Bixis this year, with the non-profit adding 4 much cities to its bike-sharing network.

Bixi stations volition gradually sprout up successful suburban communities astir the Island of Montreal including successful Saint-Eustache, Deux-Montagnes, and Saint-Lambert, arsenic good arsenic successful Sherbrooke successful the Eastern Townships. 

The enactment is besides beefing up work successful Laval with 49 caller stations, bringing the full fig of stations determination to 75. The metropolis of Longueuil volition spot 22 caller stations this spring.

The full web volition beryllium afloat operational opening connected April 15, according to a press merchandise sent retired by Bixi Montréal.

Jean-François Rheault, CEO of Vélo-Québec, says he's pleased to spot Bixi is increasing successful the suburbs wherever radical tin harvester the work with nationalist transportation.

He says the new locations look to person the infrastructure to enactment the bike-sharing service.

"Of course, Bixi is not the lone constituent to let radical to usage cycling arsenic a mode of transportation. You request to make a web of harmless and businesslike cycling infrastructure," helium said.

"More and much cities are processing harmless networks."

In total, the fig of bikes successful the Bixi web this twelvemonth volition turn to 12,600 with astir a 4th of those electrical bikes.

Rheault says the quality to expand Bixi's year-round work remains a challenge, with immoderate riders wishing they had person entree to the winterized bikes.

"I deliberation successful the aboriginal much and much radical are interested to use the Bixi system successful the wintertime and contiguous the regulation is the availability of bikes or the availability of stations successful the antithetic neighbourhoods," helium said. 

People tin suggest locations for caller Bixi stations connected their website, whether it's a circumstantial neighbourhood oregon city.

WATCH | Here's what it's similar to thrust a Bixi successful the winter: 

The non-profit has besides noted the increasing popularity of its year-round work since it launched successful the wintertime 2023.

It surveyed 5,924 riders and recovered they travelled 27 per cent much betwixt Nov. 16, 2024, and March 20, 2025, compared to the aforesaid play past year.

The survey besides revealed the number of wintertime riders astir doubled this past season, going from 35 per cent to 61 per cent of respondents. Last year, 3,412 radical answered the survey.