Montreal's Bixi Bikes Will Be Way Better In Summer 2016

How do you know summer is nearly here in Montreal? No, not birds chirping, sunshine, or any of that nonsense. You can tell summer is all but here when you see Bixi bikes back on the street, and we don't have to wait long.

Announced yesterday, Bixi will officially begin its summer 2016 season on April 15th, with the setup of stations along the streets on to begin on March 24th, notes CTV.

But there's a bit more to the story than that, as Bixi (who has gained a new sponsor, Manulife insurance) has announced a new element to its summer 2016 season that will make the bike-sharing service all the more appealing:

At major events and festivals Bixi will be offering a "valet service," where Bixi employees will either bring you a bike or return one for you.

The bike-valet will no doubt take some stress out of getting a Bixi bike. Sometimes you simply can't find an empty spot at a station in a busy area (or you can't find a bike at all), so this'll put the onus on a Bixi representative, leaving you with zero worries on whether or not you'll exceed your rental-time.

What happens if a valet attendant takes too long to get your bike to a station remains to be seen (will it be your fault, or there's?) but Bixi has probably thought of a way to circumvent that issue. Well, we hope.

Seeking to make Bixi a "more personalized service," the valet-service was announced along with a new app for Bixi. No features or details were provided, however.

And so with more funding via the Manulife sponsorship, a valet service, and a new app on the horizon, Bixi is shaping up to be better than ever in summer 2016.