Cycling in Vancouver
How the public bike share system would work
The City would initially implement a system of 1,500 bicycles, and approximately 125 docking stations, located every two to three blocks within the Vancouver Metro Core area.
The steps of a public bike share transaction would be:
A user rents a bicycle and a helmet (if the user does not have a helmet) at a kiosk.
The user returns both the bicycle and helmet either to the station where they started their journey or to a different station.
The operator redistributes bicycles and helmets on a continual basis throughout the day, to ensure sufficient bicycles and helmets are available within the system.
Exact docking station locations would be determined closer to the time of launch of the public bike share system.
Mandatory helmet laws
As is the case for all cyclists in BC, a public bike share user would be required to wear a helmet.
A user would have the choice of wearing their own helmet, or renting or buying one at a reasonable cost from bike share.
In addition to being safe, rental helmets would be easy to use, easy to clean, and accommodate a variety of head sizes. Upon return, helmets would be sanitized and inspected for safety and wear, prior to rental by another user.
Who would be able to use the public bike share system
In general, public bike shares are designed to encourage short-term trips (less than 30 minutes). Someone who is interested in renting a bike for more than a couple of hours would be better off renting a bike from a rental shop as it will likely cost less.
Memberships are expected to be available on a short-term (daily, weekly, monthly) or long-term (annually) basis.
Membership and pricing details have yet to be finalized, but it will likely resemble the schemes currently in place in cities with similar systems. The intent is to make the system accessible and affordable for everyone.
How the public bike share system would be funded
The successful owner and operator of the public bike system would be responsible for capital and operating requirements.
The owner and operator would also charge user fees, and seek corporate sponsors and contributions from private or public sources including the City of Vancouver.
This funding model is similar to that of many other cities which have a public bike share system. The goal is to minimize the financial implications to the City.
Download the City of Vancouver Cycling map
