Most want Toronto to run Bixi, poll finds
Posted May 15, 2013 2:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Most Toronto residents would like the city to take over the Bixi bike-share, but they also want the program to pay for itself, a new poll has found.
According to the Forum Research survey released on Monday, more than half of Torontonians approve of a plan for the city to take over Bixi and put bike stations at TTC stops.
Despite that, one half of those polled said the service should succeed or fail on its own merits and only one-third thought it should be subsidized.
The poll also found seven in 10 Torontonians had heard of Bixi and of those one-tenth had used it.
And most Bixi users are young — under 35 years old — and make less than $20,000 a year.
“They’ve heard of it, may have used it and they think it brings value to the city. They even want to see Bixi as part of the TTC,” said Forum Research President Lorne Bozinoff.
“The only caveat is Torontonians want to see the service pay for itself.”
A recent staff report recommended the city take over the bike-share which, though popular, has been struggling to repay a $4.5-million start-up loan from the city. TTC chair Karen Stintz has also proposed incorporating Bixi into the transit system’s operations.
Forum polled 974 Toronto adults by phone last Friday. The results are considered accurate plus- or minus-three per cent, 19 times out of 20.
