Raise the Hammer

A few things.

First, the money spent came from Metrolinx, not the City. It's earmarked for "quick wins" with regards to transportation options. So for the $1.6 Million in Metrolinx money we received, we could choose between either a bike share system or 2 new buses. The difference is that the Bike Share system requires NO ADDITIONAL INPUT of city revenue. Let me repeat that for you, because I know that sometimes you can be a bit slow.

The city has no further legal or financial obligations to the bike share program. Not one. Not a dime, nothing. Clear? Good.

The system will be up and running this year, and will likely result in the creation of between 9-12 jobs. Add it up, and try to come up with a way that $1.6 Million in investment by the City creates 9-12 jobs for 5 years spending that money somewhere else.

Now you, like many complete idiots that don't actually do their homework, are equating Bixi (the parent company) to Bixi Toronto (the operation in Toronto). The fact of the matter is that Toronto's bike share system, much like many of Bixi's other systems, was doing just fine. It was operating consistently at or above expected levels, was generating revenue and was providing people with convenient, cheap transportation options. Where Bixi (the parent company) failed was in growing too fast too quickly, spreading themselves too thin, losing control of their software model and generally making several poor decisions at the top that impacted their ability to deliver what they had promised in a timely manner. Bixi Toronto, would it have had the same investment model as we have here in Hamilton (where the capital costs are paid for, not loaned like was done in Toronto), then they would have consistently been turning a profit year after year. The system in Toronto was, and is, so successful, in fact, that there was a minor bidding war by firms vying to take over the system. So please, explain to me how it has been a failure?

Finally, Bike Share is the fastest growing form of transportation in the entire world, growing at a rate of 3-400% per year. Your vague speculation that "nobody will use it" has been repeated by countless other moronic trolls who can't see beyond the dashboard of their car to realize that just because you love wasting money in gas, insurance, parking and maintenance, many people are looking for a way to do more travel without relying on a car. And in every single place where these systems have been installed, and where the municipality has taken steps to ensure that riding is easy, safe and convenient, they've succeeded. Find me one example of where it didn't, and then we can perhaps engage in an adult conversation about this, instead of you just stomping your feet and saying "NO!" over and over again, which is generally your MO.