Wheels come off Toronto's bike sharing program

Toronto's internationally acclaimed bike sharing program has come to the end of its road after six years of helping people get around the city cheaply and without polluting the air.

BikeShare manager Maogosha Pyjor said Wednesday the program has run out of money and she and her volunteers have run out of steam trying to raise money.

"We've used up our energy writing [for] grants for the program," said Pyjor, a paid employee "until Dec. 31."

BikeShare memberships could be bought for $30 or $50 a season, "depending on income," she said. Members could pick up or drop off bicycles at16 locations in the city.

Organizers claim the program has been growing by nearly 500 new members every year and its popularity has not gone unnoticed abroad.

Other groups from across North America have contacted organizers for information about how it operates.

Two years after its inception, the program was nominated for a Stockholm Award for Sustainable Development.

The City of Toronto has also recognized the program over the years, with the latest kudos last week:a 2006 Community Project Award of Excellence for "an original approach to reducing emissions and encouraging cycling."

Transport Canada has also sung BikeShare's praises.

Pyjor said grants to support the program came from environmental foundations and corporate sponsors. She had hoped for somegrants from governments this year, but there are none available.

"The program is dead as we know it," she said.