Hamilton’s Bike Share Program will receive the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC) 2016 Sustainable Urban Transportation Award at the September conference in Toronto.
This award recognizes exemplary contributions to the development and enhancement of urban transportation, as well as transferability to other communities.
With over 11,000 unique users spanning a 35 square kilometre service area, 750 bikes and 115 stations, the Hamilton bike share system serves a multitude of destinations and neighbourhoods, including low-income areas in need of additional transportation options.
Peter Topalovic, Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility Programs and Program Manager, Hamilton Bike Share & Smart Commute, indicates that the bike share system follows specific behaviour change principles, especially the concept that convenience and price are important motivators.
“When public bikes are convenient, more residents will have access to them and choose to use them,” explains Peter. “The users of the system, the media and other cities have celebrated the Hamilton bike share system as a serious change leader for active transportation in Hamilton. Users surveyed report cycling more often and driving less (70%) and using the bike share system to get to transit (30%). More than half used a bike once a month or less before they started using bike share; this indicates that they are changing their behaviour.”
Bike share programs have numerous sustainable, environmental and health benefits, such as reducing the use of single-occupant vehicles; avoiding the need for expanding roads and reducing road maintenance; allowing more room for complete streets and street vegetation; increasing physical activity levels and reducing climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Smart-Bike Technology
Traditional third generation bike share systems have kiosks or terminals connected through docking clamps. If a user wishes to use a bike, they must use the terminal to swipe their credit card or insert their key at the dock.
“While these systems represent the norm in larger cities, the Smart Bike is quickly being embraced by medium sized cities,” notes Peter. “In this new scheme designed by Social Bicycles Inc., each bike is connected to the cellular data network and the user can sign out a bike using a login and passcode. Bikes can be parked anywhere, not just at docking points. In addition, on-board GPS allows the bike’s travel path to be recorded and users can reserve a bike 15 minutes before their trip.”
Smart bike stations are cheaper to install and operate than bike racks. Bikes are self-contained and provide the City and operator with significant amounts of data which can be used in the future planning of cycling networks and bike share system expansions.
Transferability of Program to Other Communities
According to Peter, the Hamilton bike share system has proven that cities with some density in their downtown and lower density areas surrounding the core can accommodate a public bike share system that will be financially stable and serve the needs of citizens living in the service area.
“These systems can link users to transit nodes, completing the first and last mile of their trip, be used as recreational bikes at trail heads and help citizens to make short trips to work. Hamilton’s station location process, business planning, market analysis, feasibility studies, public engagement process and on-going operations are all transferable resources.”
Before recommending the winning proposal to TAC’s Urban Transportation Council, four other submissions were also evaluated by the Sustainable Transportation Standing Committee panel: Projets pilotes de rues piétonnes (Ville de Montréal); Bicycle Parking Pilot Program (Region of Peel); Bicycle Parkdale Program (TransLink); and Transforming the Way Toronto Moves (Metrolinx).
All nominees will present their projects during a session based on the 2016 award at the TAC Conference & Exhibition.
Thank you to our Premier Sponsors
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