November 5, 2008 — Time Magazine has released its list of the 50 best inventions of 2008 and included Montreal’s BIXI self-service bicycle rental program. The list ranges, “from a genetic testing service to an invisibility cloak to an ingenious public bike system to the world’s first moving skyscraper.

BIXI made the list because, “the designers packed in all the technology they could find.” Time notes the solar-powered, web-enabled bike rack (rental) stations. Also noted is the robust design of the bikes which are equipped with RFID tags to facilitate tracking. The bikes are made by Canadian-based Devinci Cycles and designed by Michel Dallaire.

BIXI ranks 19th on a list that also includes: The Retail DNA Test; The Tesla Roadster; The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; Hulu.com; The Large Hadron Collider; The Global Seed Vault; The Chevy Volt; Bullets That Shoot Bullets; The Orbital Internet; The World’s Fastest Computer; and Green Crude.

Montreal announced its plan last year to install 2,400 rental bicycles at a cost of some $15 million, with service beginning in 2008. The announcement mentioned that some 300 bike docking (rental) stations will be created for the bikes, offering the service from April through November. The service is expected to be a money-maker for Montreal. Users of the system pay a membership fee of up to $78 annually as well as an hourly rental fee.

“BIXI is the best expression of what Montreal is about. This is a city where the environment, public transportation, cycling, walking and the quality of life are a priority. BIXI is a perfect combination of creativity, design, innovation, and audacity,” declared André Lavallée in a press release. Lavallee is in charge of public transport on Montreal’s Executive Committee. He is expected in New York City today to show BIXI to municipal authorities there.

The name “BIXI” apparently combines the first two letters of “bicycle” with the last two letters of “taxi.” For more information on the Time Magazine article and the BIXI Bike Rental program.