http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/transportation.html Montreal Transportation en Copyright &copy; 1999-2009 Gromco, Inc. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:06:19 EDT Wed, 20 May 2009 19:00:00 EDT info@sitebits.com info@sitebits.com The moment has finally come! After many months in the making, the much-talked-about Montreal public bike rental system, Bixi, has launched. Over the past few weeks the city has installed a number of automated bike rental stations and launched a web site allowing users to see availabilities in real time (both the number of available bikes and available docking slots). <br><br> Although the system is geared mainly towards residents of the city, tourists can take advantage of it as well, with monthly and even daily tariffs available. Gromco http://www.sitebits.com/2009/bixi-launched-84405046.html Wed, 20 May 2009 19:00:00 EDT A bewildered American tourist who vacationed in <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/">Montreal</a> this summer recently wrote a letter to the Gazette, the local anglophone daily, wondering why announcements on the métro are delivered only in <a href="http://french.gromco.com/" target="_new">French</a>. <br/><br/> The newspaper's response and the quotes it extracted from various officials highlighted an interesting contrast in policies between Montreal and Paris public transportation services. While in <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/france/paris/">Paris</a>, announcements are routinely delivered in three languages (French, English and a rotating third major language), Montreal metro will only play a pre-recorded bilingual tape in an emergency situation ("fire! get out!"). "Routine" messages such as announcements of delays are delivered only in <a href="http://french.gromco.com/" target="_new">French</a> as a matter of policy... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/metro-passengers-lost-with-no-translation-7914177.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EDT The voting process for the name of Montreal's citywide bike rental program is over and the winner is chosen. The system is going to be called "BIXI". <br/><br/> Over the next month, demo bikes will be wheeled around the city and public demonstrations will be held. According to the city's mayor, <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/people/gerald_tremblay.html">Gérald Tremblay</a>, by next spring Montreal will count 2,400 bikes at more than 300 solar-powered stations... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/bixi-bike-taxi-montreal-7408304.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:30:00 EDT Montreal will soon get its own city-wide bike-rental system clearly modeled after Paris' Velib. It will work almost exactly the same way as Vélib: you pick up your bike from any of the stations, pay at the station or simply swipe a card, use your bike and return it to any station you deem convenient. </p><p> The only (minor) problem is, the system is still to be named. So, the city is asking everyone's opinion. Here are the options: BIXI, Bycik, MontVélo, VélO2 and VillaVélo... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/montreal_bike_system_looking_for_name.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:13:00 EDT Many tourists (not to mention the residents) find the lack of direct transport links between <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/downtown-montreal.html">Downtown</a> and <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/old-montreal.html">Old Montreal</a> inconvenient. Sure, the métro is there, but because of the U-shaped configuration of its lines, a traveler who wants to go from centrally located Peel Street to no less central <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/old-montreal.html">Old Montreal</a> would have to travel a few stops west (or east) on the green line, switch to the orange line, then essentially come back to the geographic center of the city albeit 10-15 blocks south. Annoying. <br/><br/> Fortunately, the city is aware of that - in fact, many recent proposals for building a tramway line cited this very inconvenience as the major reason for building it. Well, the tramway, if it's ever built, is still years away, but something much more feasible is already coming, the Gazette reported: <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/old-montreal.html">Old Montreal</a> and <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/downtown-montreal.html">Downtown Montreal</a> are to be linked by a new bus route... Gromco http://www.sitebits.com/2008/new_bus_route_downtown_old_port.html Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:06:00 EDT