Montreal's Bike Sharing Scheme Biggest in North America

26 September 2008 - 8:00am

Montreal, Quebec is launching a bike sharing service that will eventually see over 2,000 bikes available at 300 stations across the city.

Many have found inspiration in Paris's wildly successful Vélib program; its 20,600 bikes have already been used on 27 million rides. Washington, D.C., became the first city in North America to unveil its own program with 120 bikes this summer. Those familiar with American schemes say Montreal's is the most ambitious.

'It's probably going to be the largest bike-sharing program in North America,' said Paul DeMaio, a bike-sharing consultant in the Washington, D.C., area who writes The Bike-Sharing Blog. "I think Montreal's is going to be one of the best.'

Montreal's program - 40 bikes will be on demonstration for free for the next six weeks - will get its official rollout in the spring, with 2,400 bicycles available at 300 stations across the city."

Source: Globe and Mail, September 22, 2008
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Short of erasing existing political and jurisdictional boundaries, citizens and officials need to develop the capacity to work across boundaries according to the "problem-sheds" of the land and water issues we face in the 21st century.