Bike sharing has arrived in Toronto and the alternative transportation option already has a big fan base. BIXI bike stations are located in the downtown core close to prime intersections such as Yonge and Dundas, Bay and Bloor, Front and Bay, and King and Spadina. The bikes are available for rent to the public at minimal costs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To rent a bike, you must choose either a 24- or 72-hour rental period, or subscribe to a 30-day or 12-month membership at any BIXI bike station. The 24-hour rental fee is $5 while the 72-hour rental fee is $12. (Both of these options require a $250 security deposit charged to your credit card and held for 10 days.) A 30-day membership is $40 plus tax and a yearly membership is $95 plus tax.
Once you have paid for a rental period, each ride you take within that period that is 30 minutes or less is included in your fee. For rides that are between 31-60 minutes, you are charged an additional $1.50; rides that are an additional 61-90 minutes cost an additional $4 (on top of the $1.50) while rides that are an additional 30 minutes beyond those periods cost an additional $8 for each subsequent 30 minute period. Payment is made at BIXI bike stations by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or AMEX) after which you will receive an unlocking code that will release your bike from the bike dock.
I love the Bixi bike program. I live outside of the city and work downtown so riding my bike to work is not an option. With Bixi I stand a chance of catching the GO Train!
Hi Jacqui, It looks like the Bixi bike program is really taking off in Toronto. Hopefully, they get more Bixi stations opened soon to meet the demand! Cheers, Lori
used bixi in montreal. it sucked! many of the touch screens were broken, and we got stranded at the most distant station. the system wouldn’t give us bikes to ride. beware!
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