Dockless bikes could be next in Vancouver
Ride share companies call the city a prime hub
The companies behind dockless-bike and scooter-share programs that have proven both popular and problematic in major cities across the U.S. are expanding rapidly, and Vancouver is in their sights.
“Vancouver is kind of primed for this,” said Euwyn Poon, co-founder and president of bike- and scooter-share firm Spin, and a former Vancouver resident. “It’s a great urban mobility hub.”
Companies such as Spin, Lime and ofo have rented dockless bikes and e-bikes — which users can rent using apps on their phones and are GPS-enabled so they don’t need to be returned to docking stations at the end of a trip — for the past few years. Uber even recently acquired a dockless e-bike company called Jump.
However, dockless electric-scooter shares have exploded in number and popularity since Bird, a firm started by the first COO of ride-hailing company Lyft, launched a program in the U.S. in September 2017. Lime and Spin have joined in and spread thousands of scooters across U.S. cities.
Company spokesman Taylor Bennett said ofo, which began in China in 2014, is excited to expand north to Canada at some point and has Vancouver in mind.
“You do have the urban density that we’re looking for and it’s also just ... the culture,” Bennett said. “Vancouver is a bike-friendly city. It’s one that I think recognizes the value of greener transportation solutions and more affordable and reliable ways to get around.”
Lime said it has no expansion plans to share for Vancouver at this time, and Bird said it couldn’t comment on future growth.
Vancouver currently has one bike-share program: Mobi by Shaw Go, which started in 2016.
The introduction of dockless bikes and scooters is a prospect for which the city says it’s prepared. Scott Edwards, Vancouver’s manager of public bike share, has monitored the industry for the past few years, and been in touch with companies running the programs.
Edwards said the city isn’t closed to the idea of dockless bikes and scooters, but is happy with the docked system it currently has, which allows it to balance transportation and land-use interests.
“Of course the city is excited about supporting sustainable mobility and these different platforms will help to provide transportation choices for people, but there’s a bit of a balance we want to ensure is maintained, and part of that is the use of public space and managing the public realm,” Edwards said.
“One of the lessons learned from other cities and peer cities is that there is the potential to negatively impact other users, particularly pedestrians and those with accessibility needs.”
Denver recently took action against the two companies that brought dockless scooters to the city in late May.
“We’ve been concerned about the use, placement and quantity of scooters that have been dropped into our city without permission or a permit to operate,” said city spokeswoman Heather Burke.
Last week, Denver’s public-works department began impounding electric scooters after asking Lime and Bird to remove the devices left on sidewalks and public rightsof-way. When they retrieve their scooters, companies receive citations.