Two years ago, Bixi, a not-for-profit, para-municipal bicycle-share firm of the City of Montreal was in deep financial trouble it had to file for bankruptcy. It was $50 million in debt, facing a number of lawsuits and to top it all its system was plagued with software bugs. But the system, which sought to “reinvent” Montreal by reducing dependence on the automobile, has risen from its troubles with a little reinvention of itself.

After being bought by PBSC Urban Solutions for $4 million in 2014, Bixi has blossomed into an international bike-share darling of sorts.

A quick look at the PBSC Web site shows that among the municipalities partnering with the company are: Aspen, Boston, Chattanooga, Chicago, Columbus, Guadalajara, London, Melbourne, Minneapolis, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toluca, Toronto, and Washington D.C. The bicycles and the system are also in use in Stoney Brook University and Washington State University.

According to the Longueuil, Que.,-based company which now manufacturers and markets the Bixi technology, it just made a sale last week of 1,000 more Bixi-style bikes and 120 stations to Toronto, which will double the city’s bike sharing bike fleet.

Bixi-style bicycles will also be seen on the streets of Honolulu this summers and by the end of this year, PBSC estimates that 50,000 of the Quebec-made bikes will be in use around the world.

A quick look at the PBSC Web site shows that among the municipalities partnering with the company are: Aspen, Boston, Chattanooga, Chicago, Columbus, Guadalajara, London, Melbourne, Minneapolis, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toluca, Toronto, and Washington D.C. The bicycles and the system are also in use in Stoney Brook University and Washington State University.

Bike-share began in Europe way back in 1965 but it was not until the mid-2000s that a more viable format emerged powered with the introduction of modern technology, according to Wikipedia. For instance, many of today’s systems employ smartphone mapping apps that show nearby stations with available bikes and open docks. Bike stations, allow users to pay for the bike rental via credit cards.

The bike-share trend is prompting cities to rethink their transportation strategies. For instance in Toronto, Metrolinx has partnered with the Toronto Parking Authority and TPA has committed $4.9 million worth of bikes and docking stations to expand Bike Share Toronto’s network (with 20 per cent of the funds committed to the greater Toronto and Hamilton areas). The expansion of Bike Share Toronto is a significant step in advancing the TPA’s commitment to build a world-class bike-sharing system.

Bicycle sharing systems can be divided into two general categories: “Community Bike programmes,” which are organised mostly by local community groups or non-profit organisations; and “Smart Bike programmes” implemented by government agencies, sometimes in a public–private partnership.

The bike sharing trend has apparently caught on globally, according to Luc Sabbatini, chief executive officer of PBSC.

According to CBC News article, the bike sharing industry is on track to reach $8 billion by 2020. Nearly 500 cities in 50 countries have bike sharing systems. Many of the vehicles are supplied by competitors of PBSC.

While the original idea was to encourage commuters to use bicycles instead of automobiles in city core areas, bike sharing has proven to be a big boon for municipal tourism as well. The bikes are not only being used by workers travelling to their office of locals trying to get from point A to point B in the city, but many tourists are using the bikes as well to enjoy the cityscape.

“A city doesn’t feel cool if it doesn’t have a bike service,” Sabbatini told the CBC. “This makes our job easier since we don’t have to solicit those markets. Those markets solicit us. We’re having trouble meeting the demand.”