Lyft Urban Solutions


Lyft Urban Solutions, formerly PBSC Urban Solutions and originally Public Bike System Company, is an international bicycle-sharing system equipment vendor with their headquarters based in Longueuil, Quebec. The company develops bicycle-sharing systems, equipment, parts, and software, and sells its products to cities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil and more. The company has sold about 280,000 bikes and 13,000 stations to 50 cities.
Public Bike System Company was initially created by the City of Montreal to supply and operate its public bike share system under the brand Bixi, which was introduced in 2009. The name 'Bixi' is a portmanteau of 'bicycle' and 'taxi'. Starting in 2010, Lyft Urban Solutions began to export the Bixi brand of bike-share systems to various other cities.
Bruno Rodi purchased the international division in April 2014 for $4M and renamed the company to PBSC Urban Solutions. In 2015, he sold the majority share to Luc Sabbatini, who became CEO.
On May 17, 2022, Lyft, Inc. acquired PBSC Urban Solutions for $160 million and rebranded the subsidiary to Lyft Urban Solutions.

History

In 2007, the city of Montreal published the "Reinvent Montreal" transportation plan, which featured a bike sharing system as a method of reducing automobile dependence. To design and operate the new system, the city created the Public Bike System Company. This was a private non-profit company overseen by Stationnement de Montréal.
After the 2008 implementation of the system in Montreal, solutions like Bixi began expanding around the world. Lyft Urban Solutions' systems are now found across North America, Latin America, Europe and more.
In May 2009, the system began operation in Montreal, with 3000 bicycles and 300 stations. After several expansions and the integration of electric bikes, in 2021 the Montreal system has 9,092 bikes and e-bikes and 750 stations.
From June to September 2009, the system was introduced in a pilot study in Ottawa/Gatineau. This was followed by operations in Melbourne, Australia from May 2010, Minneapolis, in June 2010, and London in July 2010. Lyft Urban Solutions launched on the Washington State University campus in August 2010, in Washington, D.C. & Arlington under the name "Capital Bikeshare" in September 2010.
In 2011, Lyft Urban Solutions implemented a bike-sharing system in Boston under the name "Hubway" and in Toronto, under the name "Bike Share Toronto".
In 2012, the company expanded to Chattanooga, USA.
In 2013, the company continues its expansion in the United States by implementing systems in Chicago, New York and Aspen.
In 2014, Lyft Urban Solutions expanded its activities to Guadalajara, Mexico where it deployed 1,276 bikes and 122 stations. As of 2021, the city has 3,200 bikes and 305 stations.
On January 20, 2014, the company filed for bankruptcy in Montreal, citing $46 million in debt. Part of the issue in the bankruptcy was that Chicago and New York were withholding $5 million in payments because of software issues with the docking stations. Over the course of 2014, Bruno Rodi purchased the international division of Bixi and renamed it to PBSC Urban Solutions. Luc Sabbatini became CEO of the company in January 2015.
In 2015, the company announced that it was making a $2 million investment in Research & Development. That same year, Lyft Urban Solutions rolled out its solutions in Toluca, Mexico and announced the expansion of its existing networks in London, Chicago, Washington and Guadalajara.
In 2016, Lyft Urban Solutions added a new pedal-assist electric bike to its portfolio, and rebranded two of its existing bikes. That same year, the company implemented its solution in Kona, U.S. and expanded in Toronto, Chicago, Washington and Aspen.
In 2017, the company deployed its first system in Brazil in the city of Recife, which consisted of 800 bikes and 80 stations. The company also rolled out its systems in Detroit, Louisville, Tucson & Honolulu in the United States, and Aruba in the Caribbean.
In 2018, the company announced a second R&D investment of more than $5 million. New systems were launched in Valence, France and Nicosia, Cyprus' capital. Thanks to its partnership with Tembici and Itaú Unibanco operators, Lyft Urban Solutions expanded its network in Brazil with the deployment of 9,000 bikes in several cities: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Vila Velha and Salvador.
In 2019, Lyft Urban Solutions was awarded a 7,000 bike contract in Barcelona, 1,000 of them being electric assisted bikes. The same year the company expanded to Monaco, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Santiago in Chile. It also extended some of its existing systems, including BIXI in Montreal, We-Cycle in Aspen and Libélo in Valence.
In 2020, Lyft Urban Solutions entered the Middle East with the launch of Careem Bike, a fully electric system, in Dubai. In the same year, it also implemented its solution in San Sebastian, Spain.
In 2021, Lyft Urban Solutions broadened its activities in several cities around the world: Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Clermont-Ferrand in France, Sibiu in Romania, Quebec City in Canada and in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.
In 2022, the company reached new territories in Colombia and Romania, rolling out its solutions in the cities of Pittsburgh, Bogota, Dej, and Sibiu. It also expanded some of its existing networks, including BIXI in Montreal, Careem Bike in Dubai, Santander Cycles in London, Bike Share Toronto in Toronto, Biki in Honolulu, àVélo in Québec City, Bike Itau in São Paulo, and Libélo in Valence.
On April 19, 2022, Lyft announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire PBSC Urban Solutions. The transaction closed on May 17, 2022, and the company was rebranded Lyft Urban Solutions.
In 2023, Lyft Urban Solutions launched bicimad, a fully electric system in Madrid, Spain, and Biki in Valladolid, Spain.

Original developers

  • 8D Technologies developed the technological platform behind the Bixi system, including the wireless bike station terminals, the RFID bike dock technology and the software systems. The system runs on a combination of solar energy and grid charged batteries. 8D also created the Spotcycle bike-share smartphone app that locates and shows the status of bike stations close to the users.
  • Michel Dallaire designed the physical components.
  • Robotics Design designed the bike docks and the locking system.
  • Cycles Devinci manufactures PBSC's bikes in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec.
  • Michel Gourdeau suggested the name Bixi, a portmanteau of bicycle and taxi, which was selected by a majority of the people who participated in a contest organized by the city of Montreal.

    Current systems

The cities that currently use Lyft bike-share systems are listed below:
CityCountryLaunch dateSystem nameStationsBikes
Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates

Equipment

A complete station is made up of a payment kiosk, bikes, and bike docks. A station can be installed and configured in about half an hour; no excavation is required beforehand. Ordinary stations use solar power during the day and a rechargeable battery at night. Stations which can charge e-bikes, however, must be connected to an electrical power source.
In 2021, the We-Cycle in Aspen, Colorado began a pilot program with Skyhook Solar, utilizing solar charging stations to power e-bike docks and charge e-bikes. The program has been a success and We-Cycle has added Skyhook Solar Stations to several of its e-bike docks throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

Bike docks

Bike docks hold and lock the bikes when they are not in use. Each dock includes a button which can be used to notify staff if a bicycle is defective. There are different types of stations:
  • The electric stations which are powered by the electrical network and range from 100 V to 240 V.
  • The solar stations which are modular and self-sufficient in energy.

    Payment kiosks

PBSC's payment kiosks are touchscreen-operated; most of them accept credit cards for short-term rentals. Users can unlock bikes using a numeric one-time PIN number generated by the payment kiosk or an app. Long-term subscribers also have the option to unlock a bike using a subscriber key, which works using contactless RFID technology.
File:Station Santander Cycles.jpg|thumb|Santander Cycles station in London.

Bikes

The bicycles are utility bicycles; they have a unisex step-through frame with an upright seating position. They are equipped with grip-shifter-operated internally-geared hubs, drum brakes, mudguards/fenders, chain guard, generator lights, and a front rack.
The one-piece aluminum frame and handlebars conceal cables and fasteners, in an effort to protect them from vandalism and inclement weather. The tires are designed to be puncture-resistant and are filled with nitrogen to maintain proper inflation pressure longer. Twin LED rear lights are integrated into the robust frame, which weighs approximately 18 kg. The bikes were designed by Michel Dallaire; they are built in the Saguenay, Quebec region by Cycles Devinci.
File:111 Bícing a l'av. Francesc Cambó, amb l'edifici de la Caixa de Catalunya al fons.jpg|left|thumb|Bicing bikes in Barcelona
Four bike models are available. These include:
  • The "ICONIC". This is PBSC's original bike model. It has 26" wheels, and is heavy but sturdy.
  • The "FIT". This is a newer model. It is lighter-weight and has 24" wheels.
  • The "BOOST". This is PBSC's original e-bike. The battery lasts for up to between charges.
  • The "E-FIT". This is a newer e-bike. The battery lasts for up to between charges.
The "BOOST" and the "E-FIT" each include a 250 watt motor.
Each bike is also equipped with PBSC's patented anti-theft locking device. It can charge e-bikes batteries and communicate data in real-time to the control center.