June 19, 2022 - Ottawa needs to join the ranks of cities around the world that offer a bike-share program to improve connections to public transit, say the advocacy group Bike Ottawa, as well as the councillor for Capital ward, Shawn Menard, reports CBC.ca.
According to a report prepared by City of Ottawa staff in 2021, operating an in-house bike-sharing would need an investment of $4 million to launch a suitable fleet of bikes and docking stations, then an additional $700,000 annually to operate it internally, all deemed too lofty.
Yet both Toronto and Hamilton have successful programs so why not Ottawa? Residents have seen several bike-sharing programs launch then fail because the city viewed them as profitable ventures. “These services should not be expected to be profitable, in the same way that we don’t expect transit to be profitable,” said Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, a member of the Bike Ottawa board. “Bike sharing should be part of Ottawa’s transit system.”
Menard believes Ottawa should mimic Toronto’s in-house approach. “You think about $4 million to get a bike-share going that can be in almost every part of the city, connecting with our new $7 billion LRT,” said Menard.
Read the full report here.
