Launched as BIXI, rescued by the city after its operator went broke
Bike Share Toronto
Toronto's bike-share system nearly died in 2013 when its Montreal-based operator couldn't repay a city loan. The Toronto Parking Authority took it over instead of shutting it down — and it's grown every year since.
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Toronto's public bike-share system launched in May 2011 under the BIXI brand, operated by the Montreal-based company behind Montreal's BIXI system. It started with 1,000 bicycles at 80 stations concentrated in the downtown core. The system quickly ran into financial trouble: by 2013 it was on the brink of collapse, unable to repay a $3.9 million startup loan from the City of Toronto.
Municipal takeover and growth
In 2014, the Toronto Parking Authority — a municipal agency — took over ownership and management of the system, and it was rebranded Bike Share Toronto as it became a fully public operation. Under Toronto Parking Authority management the network expanded steadily, with a particularly large expansion in 2020 that grew the system to 625 stations and 6,850 bikes. By 2023 it had reached 756 stations and 8,970 bikes, including 1,815 e-bikes.
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