Brakes pumped on City of Vancouver’s bike-share scheme
TOP GOAL: Officials mum, but operator says it’s ‘basically in a holding pattern’ due to transit vote
Although the City of Vancouver promises to roll out its troubled bike-share program this year, the plan now reportedly is dependent on results of the regional transit plebiscite, The Province has learned.
“We are basically in a holding pattern,” said a representative of Motivate, the bike-share operator to which the city granted $6 million in startup funds in 2013.
“The city wanted to slow things down because they thought the results of the transit plebiscite would guide (plans).”
City planners did not respond to interview requests for this story, but Mayor Gregor Robertson and his council have not publicly said that the plan to place 1,500 rental bikes throughout Vancouver could be in jeopardy or changed based on results of the plebiscite.
Launching Vancouver’s rental-bike program has been a top goal of Robertson’s for more than five years — but problem after problem has punctured his plans.
The wheels started to wobble when the city’s equipment provider, Bixi, struggled financially and finally went bankrupt in January 2014.
Bixi received tens of millions in public bailouts from the City of Montreal and reportedly owed about $50 million to creditors internationally. Bixi’s financial problems in turn caused equipment supply issues for the city’s chosen operator, Alta Bicycle Share.
“The City is working with Alta to understand how they will address outstanding issues including financing, sponsorship and operations,” the city said in a statement to The Province in June 2014.
In January 2015, Alta Bicycle Share changed its name to Motivate after changing managers.
Motivate has expanded successful bikeshare programs in Chicago and New York, a representative who asked not to be named told The Province.
Meanwhile, Vancouver is not even listed on Motivate’s website as a partner.
City staff did not respond to questions on how final results of the regional transit plebiscite, expected by late June, could impact plans for the bike-share program.
The city’s primary goal in the plebiscite Yes campaign is to fund a new subway line that would travel Vancouver’s Broadway corridor.
The mayor’s office has said there is no Plan B if the No side wins and the city does not secure funding for transit improvements through taxation.
In 2013, Robertson’s council approved a plan to grant $6 million in startup funds to Alta Bicycle Share as the operator, with a total commitment of $20 million in public spending over 10 years to roll out rental bikes and stations on city land.
The city, in its last response to The Province, claimed it had not yet paid out any money to the company formerly known as Alta.