Montreal has over 5,000 bikes at 400 locations around the city available for use by the public 2009, 1st year = One Million Rides !
Montreal, Quebec - The city of Montreal has introduced a new fast, clean, space-saving public transportation service - public bicycles. Started in May 2009, 3,000 bicycles were spread around the city of Montreal at 300 different depot points. They are available for use by the general public and after a registration fee of $5 per day or $28 for a month, then there is a small usage fee but first half-hour is always free. The service is designed for the bikes to be used frequently for short times. So, they are ideal for visitors who want to use them as an alternative free form of public transit. Just pick up one of the sleek, sturdy bikes to go from point-to-point, drop it off when you get to a popular tourist site, then pick up another one when you are ready to move onto the next site. You need a credit card to release the., When you keep it for more than one-half hour there is the additional useage charge ($1.50 for the second half-hour $3 for up to 90 minutes.)
Where: Most of the bikes are stationed in the Ville-Marie, Plateau Mont-Royal, and Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie boroughs. This is a summer service. The bikes will be put away for the winter in late fall. "No helmet is required to ride in Montreal, but we encourge wearing a helmet", said Michel Philibert of Société en Commandite Stationnement de Montréal.
In the News: The 2010 Bixi bike season begins Tuesday April 20th!!! Bikes will be ready at 246 locations around the city. The service started on May 12, 2009 and on Monday Oct. 25 it celebrated it's one millionth ride. Montreal's Public Bike System was chosen one of TIME'S Best Inventions of 2008.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
