Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger wants to keep bike share program rolling along
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger is proposing to use taxpayer money to keep the city's bike share program rolling along.
Eisenberger's idea, which was approved in a motion at council's Nov. 26 budget committee, is for staff to investigate options on how to keep Hamilton Bike Share Inc. financially sustainable. Eisenberger said staff should outline several options such as providing some form of government investment, a partnership with a third party and even seeking commercial advertisement. Councillors voted 12-0 in support of the motion.
It has become an integral part of our transportation network," said Eisenberger. There has got to be a need for this municipality to take a share of the operating cost to ensure this will be maintained sustainably and effectively."
The popular bike service, which has been operated since 2014 by Hamilton Bike Share Inc., a non-profit organization, was locked up in 2020 after Uber ended its one-year contract with the city.
Hamilton Bike Share Inc. agreed to operate the service after a community-wide fundraising effort netted over $200,000, including $100,000 from the Patrick J. MacNally Charitable Foundation. Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann also offered up $400,000 from the area-rating budgets from wards 1, 2, and 3 to be used for the service. And about $500,000 in capital funding from the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is being used to continue the bike share service until Dec. 31, 2022.
Peter Topalovic, program manager for sustainable mobility, acknowledged the bike share program is operating in emergency mode" without attempting to expand the service into other areas of the city or increase ridership.
(They) need some type of subsidy," said Topalovic. We are making upgrades to stations and bikes. But there are no plans to expand."
There had been ideas to introduce the service to the Mountain Brow Trail, Mohawk College, Kenilworth Avenue corridor, Upper James corridor, Concession Street and Eastgate Square. Staff have indicated other areas of the city that could prove popular for the service include downtown Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, local attractions, conservation areas, and transit hubs such as the Confederation GO station.
In July 2021, Portland, Oregon donated about 600 bright orange bikes to Hamilton Bike Share, which almost doubled its fleet. And the non-profit organization also announced a three-year partnership with Cogeco.
The program was started with $1.6 million from Metrolinx to purchase about 800 bikes and 130 stations. Of the $2.3 million that has been invested in the bike service, about $300,000 has come from the city. The program has about 26,000 members and operates across 25 square kilometres of the city through memberships, sponsorships, grants and donations.
I think we need to find the partnership to bring it to sustainability and allow it to expand to other areas of the city," said Eisenberger.