Toronto hopes to roll out a Bixi bike share program similar to the one already running in Montreal, seen here, by May. (Corinne Smith/CBC)

A Toronto bike share program that is due to roll out next year is kicking off a campaign to recruit subscribers.

Under the Bixi (short for "bicycle taxi") program, people will be able to pick up a bike at one of 85 stations in downtown Toronto, use it and park it at another station when they are done.

It hasn't yet been determined where those stations will go, but they will be set no more than 300 metres apart from each other for convenience, said Dan Egan, the city's manager of cycling infrastructure and programs.

"I think it could really change the face of Toronto," he said.

"Think about it as a transit system — as an extension of transit — as opposed to a bike rental."

The Bixi bikes are slated to debut on Toronto streets in May, but the city first has to ensure it has at least 1,000 annual subscribers to the service by Nov. 30. To that end, the city is throwing a party at the Gladstone Hotel on Wednesday night, starting at 7 p.m., to raise awareness about the program.

"I'm totally confident we will make this happen. My only regret is that we're not doing it bigger, but you know, it's kind of the Toronto way of doing things," he said. When asked why the city wasn't rolling out a bigger program, Egan said, "it's the financial risk in terms of launching a program.

"Council asked us to do it in a way that didn't cost the city money, so we're doing this in a modest way to start. But I think that we'll demonstrate the demand right off the bat to look at ways to expand the program," he said.

The city will guarantee a $4.8-million startup loan for Bixi, and also has to dig up $600,000 in sponsorship deals. But it is not directly funding the program.

For a fee of $78 per year, $28 per month, or $5 per day, residents and visitors would be able to use a bicycle. For rides up to 30 minutes, there are no additional fees. Rides that take between 30 minutes and 60 minutes will cost an extra $1.50, while rides from 60 to 90 minutes will cost $3.

The Bixi bike share model has been used in a number of cities in Europe and North America — Paris, Berlin and Barcelona all have programs. A Bixi system has also been set up in Montreal, where around 5,000 bikes are available for use at 400 stations.