A remark made by city councillor Helen Fotopulos has touched off a debate about who is responsible for the BIXI bike system spreading west of downtown.
The City of Westmount and the adjacent borough of CDN/NDG are engaged in a war of finger-pointing over a lack of BIXIs.
A remark made by city councillor Helen Fotopulos has touched off a debate about who is responsible for the BIXI bike system spreading west of downtown.
At a recent CDN/NDG borough council meeting, James MacLean presented a petition with over 1,000 signatures, in favor of bringing the BIXI system to NDG.
Fotopolos caused audience laughter when she asked if the petition's author had plans to re-create his project in Westmount. Fotopolos then claimed that Westmount's lack of a BIXI system was a "stumbling block" for BIXI coming to CDN/NDG, as the system requires docking stations every 300 meters. Therefore, if Westmount doesn't adopt BIXI, NDG faces problems.
Westmount Mayor Peter Trent disagrees. He says he’s in favor of bringing a BIXI system to Westmount, and met with BIXI officials in June to discuss logistics. Mayor Trent says he is still awaiting a quote on how much the plan will cost. As Westmount would be the first de-merged suburb to get BIXI, there are questions about how the system would be paid for.
Trent says that he has not heard an overwhelming demand from Westmounters to get BIXI. "I've gotten three or four emails," he says.
The Westmount Walking and Cycling Association isn’t convinced, “We've been trying since last fall to get the city to act on it (BIXI)," says VP Marilynn Gillies, who says the group has already circulated a petition and raised the issue at council meetings.
Trent disagrees that Westmount presents a stumbling block towards NDG getting the BIXI system. He says Fotopulos should have called him to discuss her concerns directly. "This is what gets people upset, when politicians have spats like this," he says.
Furthermore, he says, "(CDN/NDG) Mayor Applebaum is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee! They are the ones who decide who gets BIXI."
Mayor Trent says that, while he is in favor of BIXI, he doesn't want Westmount to get stuck with a hefty price tag, like London. "It's complicated - you can't wave a magic wand and say, 'BIXI comes tomorrow.'"-
"As Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee, my role is to serve the needs of all of Montreal," counters Applebaum. "It's not because I am on the Executive Committee that NDG will receive BIXIs before anybody else." He says he is pro-BIXI, and wants the service to come to his borough.
Applebaum maintains the final decision on BIXI rests with Stationnement Montreal. And while they were the ones to initially say Westmount presented a BIXI problem for his borough, that's no longer the case.
"I've been through this discussion with Stationnement Montreal, and it's no longer a stumbling block," says Applebaum. His borough is exploring ways to bring BIXI bikes in that may not affect Westmount.
Applebaum admits that Westmount does face unique funding challenges when it comes to BIXI. "It's a de-merged residential area, with different rules," he says, and likened the situation to the city of London, which recently bought the BIXI system.
Mayor Trent says that, while he is in favor of BIXI, he doesn't want Westmount to get stuck with a hefty price tag, like London. "It's complicated - you can't wave a magic wand and say, 'BIXI comes tomorrow.'"
Trent says he hasn’t owned a car for decades and would love to see bicycles become the main mode of urban transit. Applebaum says he hears strong demand from NDG residents for BIXI, who appreciate the environmental benefits of cycling. But neither can say for sure when BIXI will arrive.
Conversation may well continue. When asked outside the council meeting if he would indeed take councillor Fotopulos up on her suggestion of a Westmount BIXI petition, James MacLean grinned and chuckled. “That’s certainly an idea,” he said.
