Hamilton’s bike-share network could add more wheels — and a new colour scheme
Hamilton's bike-share network is poised to grow its fleet - and colour scheme - if a proposed bicycle donation from Portland, Ore., rolls ahead.
City council is expected on Friday to approve $50,000 to transport 600 bright orange bicycles to Hamilton from Oregon's capital city, which is buying new equipment for its own bike-share program.
If both cities sign off on the donation - and enough of the bicycles are in good shape - there should be more wheels on the streets of the lower city by next year, said Hamilton Bike Share executive director Chelsea Cox.
It should allow us to increase the number of bikes in service," said Cox, who noted the bike-share program has historically stretched" its 825 blue-and-white bikes to serve a wide area.
The donated wheels can only grow the active rental fleet to 900 bicycles for now, because the city only has enough dedicated grant money for that many upgraded bike controller brains."
But other Portland transplants could be held back as spares, or used for oft-needed parts and repairs. And if the city scores another grant to buy more controllers, they can put more bikes into service.
Could the new-old bikes be used to expand the rental program to the east city, Mountain or Waterdown?
The operator is looking at those options, said Cox, but any expansion outside the current footprint - which is mostly from Dundas as far east as Ottawa Street in the lower city - will require more operating dollars or grants.
City council has so far rejected the idea of paying operating costs for the former SoBi bike-share program, which was abandoned by an Uber-owned contractor in 2020 but rescued by white knight donors and the current non-profit.
Colour aside, the donated bikes are very similar" to those used by Hamilton, said Cox. The city will spend $10,000 removing or hiding the Portland Biketown" branding on the bicycles, but will not repaint them.
Regardless, you may not see bright orange bike options until sometime next year. Finalizing the donation, transporting the bikes and readying them for use could take several months.
We'll be more colourful," said Cox. But the majority of the bikes will still be that iconic blue."
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com