In the first year after its launch in May 2011, BIXI achieved its goal of 5,000 members and surpassed 48,000 casual riders. Torontonians had taken more than 556,000 BIXI bike trips around the downtown core, with an average bike trip of 25 minutes and 5 KM per trip.

BIXI Toronto boasts 1,000 bikes spread out over 80 stations, but because they are confined largely to downtown and short trips, they are of limited use to commuters. The peak hours for riders are between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Though BIXI was first introduced in Montral, and is much larger and more established there, BIXI Toronto is the first Canadian system available year-round. More than 123,000 trips were completed during the winter months, representing 22% of the first year usage.

BIXI’s revenue comes both from user fees and advertising, and the City of Toronto guaranteed $4.8 million for the project’s startup capital.