Montreal develops a unique and innovative Public Bike System: A North American
first
MONTREAL, June 17 /CNW-AsiaNet/ --
Montreal is well on its way to becoming the first city in North America to develop a bicycle
network that helps address some of the problems related to the ever-growing use of cars in urban
areas.
With these problems in mind, Stationnement de Montréal created the innovative Public Bike
System (PBS), which it will also manage. The system includes bikes, technical platforms, bike
docks, pay stations and proprietary software that runs it all. The company has a long history of
developing successful public installation concepts. In 2007, it was honoured with the International
Parking Institute's Award of Merit in the Innovation in a parking operation category for a "Pay and
Go" parking system.
The design of the physical components of the system was entrusted to world-renowned industrial
designer Michel Dallaire. The bikes feature clean lines and a sleek look that is carried over to other
system components. The bikes are also notable for their sturdiness and safety.
"This is a unique concept that will allow any interested city to acquire a public bike system that
can be rapidly set up on their territory with no technological development or infrastructure costs,"
said Alain Ayotte, executive vice president of Stationnement de Montréal.
Innovation is another hallmark of the PBS. It employs cutting-edge technologies to their best
advantage: the entire system is solar-powered and uses wireless communication. All the
components are modular and require no permanent installation. With no need for external energy
sources, stations can be installed in virtually any location without incurring expensive infrastructure
work. Stations can be set up in a matter of minutes, leaving no trace of their presence once they are
removed. User-friendly, the system requires only an access card or credit card with no
intermediaries.
"By developing the Public Bike System from a clean sheet, Stationnement de Montréal is in a
position to deliver a high-quality, turnkey product that has been pre-tested to optimize efficiency,
suitable for cities big and small," added Mr. Ayotte.
SOURCE: Stationnement de Montréal
CONTACT: Michel Philibert,
Director - Communications and marketing,
Stationnement de Montréal,
(514) 868-3795,
mphilibert@statdemtl.qc.ca
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