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| - Since the initial Toronto Bike Share system (Bixi) is no longer, and is now sponsored by TD- it's only fair to start a new review. I never experienced the original Bixi program, so I can't speak on that, but as far as the new amalgamation goes, I'm a fan.
The TD Toronto Bike Share is now owned and operated by Motivate, the same company that has successfully run shares in cities like DC, Melbourne, NYC, Boston, and Chicago- to name a few. So hopefully any mistakes made by the previous owners will be nipped in the bud. If anything, Motivate actually makes their own bicycles, so there's no finger-pointing there.
I didn't really have any complaints with this system, except for the fact that the screens could be quite difficult to read, especially at night. Many of them actually had striations going through the screen, making it even more difficult to read. Other than that, I thought it was well executed. The app worked well in helping to locate stations, and there was never an issue docking or removing bikes.
The prices are good:
$7 for 24 hours
$15 for 72 hours
$18 for a month
$90 for a year
But for any and all of those people out there, who still don't understand how bike shares work (and subsequently write negative reviews for incurred costs) listen up.
You are not renting the bike for 24 hours- you are renting a bike for 30 minute periods, for 24 hours. That is why it is a SHARE- if you do not dock your bike within 30 minutes, you will be charged an additional $1.50. What I do, is I set a timer on my phone for 25 minutes, and when it goes off, I simply find a station to dock, then check out a new bike.
There are ample stations in Toronto and the city itself is super bike-friendly, with tons of lanes distributed throughout. I highly recommend the TD Toronto Bike Share as a way to get around this great city.
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