You might have noticed Vancouver’s first bike sharing racks are starting to pop up around the city. The program that was approved back in February is set to become a reality this summer.
These racks were spotted in Olympic Village:
Jess Fleming / Daily Hive
Jess Fleming / Daily Hive
Jess Fleming / Daily Hive
The public bike share system will consist of 1,000 bikes and 150 stations, with another 500 bikes set to arrive at the end of the summer.
The city signed a five year agreement with Ottawa-based CycleHop, which runs systems in Ottawa, Santa Monica, Tampa, Louisville, and West Hollywood, among other North American cities. CycleHop will pay up to $400,000 a year for the use of city space, and the city will invest $5 million for servicing of the 1,500 bikes.
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The bikes use a “Smart Bike” payment and locking system that’s integrated into the bike itself, similar to Car2Go. The docking stations are modular and will utilize solar power to keep them running.
Helmets will be available on the bikes at no additional cost to the user. Service areas will include the downtown area, and will be bordered by Arbutus Street, 16th Avenue, and Main Street.
Keep your eyes peeled for more of these popping up around the city prior to the launch.
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