Public Bike System - Montreal

The Public Bike System (PBS) was created to offer an attractive and easy-to-use option for those seeking urban transportation that has less impact on the environment than traditional fuel-powered vehicles, and to act as the perfect complement to public transportation networks.

The entire system was designed from a clean sheet, intended to marry the practical with the aesthetic. World-renowned industrial designer Michel Dallaire was entrusted with the design of the physical components. The bikes themselves feature clean lines and a sleek look that in no way compromises their sturdiness and safety. Design elements are carried over to the technical platforms, bike docks and pay stations. All with the intention making the PBS an enhancement to the urban landscape, not an impediment to enjoying it.

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. With no need for permanent installations or external energy sources, the technical platforms that constitute the base of the stations can simply be dropped off at any desired location without incurring expensive infrastructure work. No need to excavate or anchor the platforms to the street. And no need to install electrical or communication cables.

The technical platforms, holding 6 bike docks and 6 bikes apiece, are simply attached together to form a station. Stations can be set up in a matter of minutes, leaving no trace of their presence once they are removed. Because the technical platforms are so easy to move, stations can also be expanded or contracted in very short order. The PBS is very user-friendly, requiring only an access card or credit card to obtain a bike. No intermediaries are needed. In a very short time, riders can be heading off on their bikes. And returning them is equalling simple, making short trips a breeze.

Entirely new software was developed to run the system, offering both managers and the public the chance to see real-time stations and the number bikes available anywhere on the system network.

The Public Bike System. Where design, innovation and technology are on a roll.

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This would be a great system in downtown Columbus.