New $1.6 million bike-share program coming to Hamilton
In the spring of 2014, Hamilton will adopt a new $1.6 million bike-share program. The public works committee announced on Monday that they were in the final stages of contracting New York based bike-share company Social Bicycles (SoBi). After a request for proposals, SoBi was the winning bid.
While not everything is set in stone just yet, according the Gerry Davis, the public works general manager, things are looking good for next year. There will be 650 bikes across 65 stations. Some unique features of the SoBi system are that their bikes are tracked with integrated GPS systems. Users will be able to use their smartphones to track and locate where bikes are located. This feature allows for streamlined transport and use. A users of the SoBi system in Hamilton will be able to pick up a bike and drop it off at another location. If the weather turns sour, cyclists can use alternate forms of transport to get home without worrying about returning their bikes to the correct locations.
The system will be operated and managed with a “made-in-Hamilton” premise that will be overseen by SoBi. The idea is to ensure local job creation that further advances the city of Hamilton.
Hamilton will be the first to adopt this new system of bike sharing in Canada.
Hamilton bike share program good to go for spring | by @MollyatTheSpec http://t.co/OPM1KKLRxx
— Hamilton Spectator (@TheSpec) December 2, 2013
