On the streets of Montreal, where visitors once flocked to watch Formula One cars race through the streets, you can now cruise the city on two wheels. That is, on one of the 3,000 sleek bicycles in the city's new bike-sharing program.
Launched this month, Bixi is North America's largest and most innovative bike-sharing program, billed as a green, cheap method of getting around. With the city's 450 kilometres of bike paths, you can cruise around like a local. “Tourists are most welcome to use the system and experience the city the way local residents do,” Tourisme Montreal's Patrick Guidote says.
As urban cycling gains in popularity, following the European example, cities and hotels are offering bike-sharing and bike paths – along with bikes as amenities for guests – as a way to attract visitors and open up a new tourism experience.
With the $15-million Bixi – the name blends the words “bicycle” and “taxi” – Montreal is building on its potential for visitors. In an online video, Tourism Montreal blogger “Tamy” recommends pedalling to places slightly off the beaten path: Jean-Drapeau Park, for instance, where you can bike on the F1 Gilles Villeneuve track and then stop for a dip at the Jean-Drapeau beach.
The formula for such programs is simple. In Montreal, riders use a member's key or credit card to unlock a bike, pedal it around town and return it to one of 300 solar-powered docking stations. The sturdy aluminum bikes have three speeds, raised handlebars, lights, and tires built for urban cycling.
They're also theft-resistant – and come with a modest rental price. The first 30 minutes of every ride is free. After that, it costs from $1.50 for an hour to $5 for a full day of cycling.
Bixi is modelled after programs in Europe, including Berlin, Barcelona and particularly Paris. After two years of operation in Paris, a city of 2.2 million, the Vélib' program has clocked 42 million riders – thanks in part to tour guides who lead visitors around the Latin Quarter by bike.
If success is based on longevity and popularity, then Bycyklen in Copenhagen is perhaps the biggest success story. Copenhagen brands itself as the City of Cyclists, and 36 per cent of locals travel by bicycle; the city is aiming for 50 per cent by 2015. Founded in 1995, Bycyklen was the first large-scale urban bike-share program featuring specially designed bikes.
And it's free: Riders leave a $4.25 deposit, which is refunded when they return the bikes. Its tourism board weaves promotional campaigns with tips on how to experience the city like a local and boasts about its extensive network of bike paths, which expands every year.
According to bike-sharing consultant Paul DeMaio, Montreal and other cities are likely to see bike-sharing programs become a favourite mode of transport for visitors. “Tourism improves when visitors can rely on the local transit network, including bike-sharing, rather than needing a car rental,” he says.
“Tourists get to experience a city more up close when they're biking. They can smell the aromas of the bakeries and enjoy urban life, rather than be frustrated about being stuck in traffic and worried about where to find parking.”
Given the growth of bike-sharing globally, that sort of experience should be a common part of city tourism within a few years. London plans to unveil its 6,000-bicycle-strong share program by 2010. Boston, Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix have announced programs for the near future.
In New York, the quintessential urban jungle, the city has conducted a comprehensive study to assess the potential for a bike-sharing program.
And this summer, the neighbourhood group Alliance for Downtown New York is running its second annual Bike Around Downtown program, which provides the public with bicycle rentals (free for members, and anyone can register online to be a member), including helmets and baby seats.
