MONTREAL – Montreal mayor Denis Coderre wants to give Montreal’s bike-sharing program one more chance.
The city will provide the beleaguered BIXI with $5 million this year and create an independent body to review the program and make recommendations on whether it should be kept running in the future.
Coderre said BIXI continues to operate with a $31 million debt.
The independent body created by Coderre may be studying BIXI’s future with a pro-bike bias.
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One of its members is the president of Velo-Quebec, a pro-cycling lobby group that favours keeping BIXI operating in Montreal.
Coderre is also trying to sell the international division of BIXI for at least $4 million but so far has no offers.
The international division sold the concept to various cities around the world including in New York City where Citi Bike is also in financial difficulty.
The New York program is completely privately owned and operated but is seeking $14 million to stay afloat.
BIXI in Montreal is scheduled to roll out on April 15.
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