Marie Elaine Farley steps down as president of BIXI Montréal with a sense of accomplishment Français
MONTREAL, May 28, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Ms. Marie Elaine Farley stepped down as president of BIXI Montréal last night at the Annual General Meeting of members. Announced last fall, this departure comes after six years of constant growth in the use of the bike-sharing service in Montreal, and following the busiest season in BIXI's history, which was registered in 2019. Two other members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Éric Bergeron, Treasurer and Chairman of the Audit Committee, as well as Mr. Gilles Corriveau, Director, will also be stepping down.
"I can only be extremely proud of how far we've come since BIXI Montréal's creation in 2014. Over the past six years, BIXI has established itself as a true transportation alternative and has become a major asset for Montrealers. I am leaving an organization whose exceptional results are the product of the concerted work of many people. I would like to express my gratitude to our managers, including the Executive Director, Mr. Christian Vermette, and our employees who have developed invaluable expertise in the field. Thanks to the support of all these people, the City, the elected officials and all its managers, BIXI is today a great source of pride. I am passing on the torch with a sense of accomplishment," said Ms. Farley.
AN INSPIRING BUSINESSWOMAN
Until 2014 when the municipal administration set up a new NPO to manage the bike-share system differently, following the Public Bike Sharing Company's bankruptcy, the future was still uncertain. Marie Elaine Farley's arrival and BIXI Montréal's new administration has completely turned the situation around. Six years later, BIXI is still growing stronger. With a sustained increase in sales (over 300%), number of unique users (146%) and ridership (81%), BIXI has also become a strong symbol of the city and of its ability to innovate. As the second largest bike-sharing network in North America, BIXI Montréal has also developed unequalled expertise over the years, making it a reference point at an international level.
Trained as a lawyer and current President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chambre de la sécurité financière, Marie Elaine Farley has received several distinctions over the course of her career. These include the Femmes d'affaires du Québec's Award in the "Leader of a Public or Parapublic Organization" category, the Association of Quebec Women in Finance's Award and more recently, the "Emeritus Lawyer 2019" distinction, awarded by the Quebec Bar.
ÉRIC BERGERON AND GILLES CORRIVEAU ARE ALSO STEPPING DOWN
Two other members of BIXI Montréal's board of directors who sat with Ms. Farley, Mr. Éric Bergeron and Mr. Gilles Corriveau, are also passing on the torch. Respectively Chairman of the Board, and Partner at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and Vice-President and Partner at Enigma, Éric Bergeron and Gilles Corriveau have actively contributed to BIXI Montréal's success over the past six years.
"I would like to warmly thank Éric Bergeron and Gilles Corriveau for their professionalism, dedication, entrepreneurial spirit and their commitment to developing a strong BIXI brand. Their exceptional commitment and passion have transformed BIXI Montréal into Quebec flagship, recognized worldwide as a leader in its field, and as an emblematic symbol of the city," said Marie Elaine Farley.
Mr. Christian Vermette thanked the outgoing members for their invaluable work over the past few years: "They showed vision in the development of the BIXI system in Montreal. In 2019, the City of Montreal renewed its confidence in BIXI Montréal by concluding a new 10-year management agreement, which confirms the recognition of BIXI as an essential partner in integrated mobility in Montreal.
AN EXCEPTIONAL BALANCE SHEET
Over the past year, BIXI Montréal has set new records in terms of trips, sales and unique users. Over the course of 7 months of operation in 2019, more than 320,000 users made a total of 5.8 million trips and travelled more than 15 million kilometres, an 8% increase over the previous year. BIXI even experienced the busiest day in its history with 44,200 trips on May 26, 2019, in addition to recording an impressive 94% customer satisfaction rate.
The year 2019 was also marked by network expansion, adding three new cities (Montréal-Est, Laval and Mont-Royal), as well as six new boroughs (Lachine, Saint-Laurent, Montréal-Nord, Anjou, Saint-Léonard and Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles). Some 60 new stations were added, as well as 2,600 new docking points and 1,000 additional bicycles. Furthermore, E-BIXIs, the first electric BIXI bikes which were introduced at the end of the season, were so popular that they were used twice as much as standard bikes. During the 2020 season, the City of Montreal will add 1,000 E-BIXI bikes to the network as well as 70 new electric stations.
ABOUT BIXI MONTRÉAL
BIXI Montréal is a non-profit organization created by the City of Montreal to manage the bike-sharing system in the city. In 2020, the network will include 680 stations (including 70 electric stations), 7,270 regular bicycles and 1,160 electric bicycles in Montréal, as well as in Westmount, Mont-Royal, Montréal East, Longueuil and Laval. For more information, you may consult BIXI Montréal's website.
SOURCE BIXI Montréal
Bérengère Thériault for BIXI Montréal, 514-999-6493, [email protected]
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