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Montreal's Public Bikes To Use Web, RFID, Solar

Posted by kdawson on from the all-the-green-words dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Montreal is preparing to launch a Web- and RFID-enabled public bike system that allows residents and visitors to rent bicycles at special depots scattered throughout the city. Using a Web site, riders can check out a real-time inventory of available bicycles at the depot locations. At the depots, a solar-powered base station will process credit cards or member cards. The bike docks use RFID, and the system is supposedly easy to install and maintain. A pilot program will launch in September with four bike depots."

7 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Re:mmmmmk by mrbluze · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I mean they're not going to put sensors everywhere in the city to track them everywhere but I bet they could sell the data of routes people take and sell the stats to businesses. That or follow "suspicious" people who haven't even committed a crime.

    I mean, nobody who is about to commit a crime is going to make sure they aren't traced by stealing a bike or maybe using a false credit card or possibly thinking for three seconds before they commit the crime.

    If it's a rental vehicle, it's no different from a taxi.

    You can bet they will be tracking everyone with it, but so what?

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  2. Re:mmmmmk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The thing about this tracking however, is that it's opt-in. If you don't like them knowing where you'll be taking their bike, don't rent one and get on the bus instead. Far less personal information traded with the bus, especially if you pay per ride in cash. But having other people using the bikes is just fine for the bus goers. It means the buses will be potentially less crowded.

  3. They only get a few months.. by QuantumTheologian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm just guessing, but the bicycle may not be the best means of transportation in the winter, particularly in Montreal.

    1. Re:They only get a few months.. by Media+Tracker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      the bicycle may not be the best means of transportation in the winter, particularly in Montreal.

      I know it's Canada, but they do shovel the streets... particularly downtown

      They do indeed shovel the streets here, they shovel all the streets, but it still remains extremely slippery. It's quite a dangerous endeavour to ride bike in Wintertime, and only bike nuts and downtown bicycle couriers do it. Your wheels may suddenly just jerk sideways and completely slip away from under you, slamming you in the ground.

      Besides, dangerous or not, riding a bike by minus 10, minus 20 is just very damn uncomfortable. At these temperatures, you already need to dress up considerably just to step outside. To ride a bike, you need double the insulation because of the wind, especially on your face and hands. And pedalling with winter boots on just isn't fun.

      So, no. Montrealers in general don't bike in the Winter.

  4. Re:mmmmmk by Titoxd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think they're most interested in tracking the bikes themselves so they don't get stolen.

  5. Re:mmmmmk by Propagandhi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So you want a public bike rental system which doesn't keep records? Good luck with that.

  6. Re:Limited Mobility Users? by Mr.+Bad+Example · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > What are people with limited mobility going to do with the bicycle?

    "Limited mobility" doesn't mean "completely immobile". I, for example, have some orthopedic problems that make it really painful to walk further than about a mile or stand on my feet for more than an hour at a time. A bicycle would greatly extend my range by taking most of the strain off my feet.

    (Of course, I don't really have anywhere to store one, and the hills around here are bastards, but that's a whole other subject...)