Yellowknife residents will soon be able to borrow a bicycle – or tricycle – for free for up to two weeks this summer.
Becca Denley, who has worked on the bike-share project on a volunteer basis, says the program, called Shift: Decreasing Barriers to Active Mobility, should be ready to roll out in the next couple weeks.
“Ideally it would be this Sunday, but it may be next weekend. It’s all dependent on a few things falling into place,” said Denley, explaining that they are still waiting for a couple of the bikes to arrive from the distributor.
Shift is a pilot project by the NWT Recreation and Parks Association made possible through a grant from the GNWT’s Healthy Choices Fund.
Once the program has officially launched, people will be able to reserve a bike through the NWTRPA website and choose which style they want to borrow.
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Riders will be able to pick up their bikes on scheduled Sundays at Somba K’e Park, where they can also get safety gear, guidance on planning their commutes, and have their bike adjusted to fit them.
Once the two-week period for the first cohort is over, riders will drop the bikes back off at Somba K’e Park and volunteers will complete any minor repairs or adjustments before passing the bikes on to the next group of cyclists.
The bike-share fleet will include two upright city bikes, two e-city bikes, two e-tricycles and two cargo bikes.
Denley said the e-tricycles are a great option for those who may not be confident on two wheels or who may have difficulties with balance.
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The cargo bikes, Denley said, could be helpful for small business owners who may need to carry product or equipment with them, or for people with young children.
“We wanted people who maybe want to try a bike, but they need to drop off their kids in the morning to daycare, and so this type of bike would help them do that.” she said.
The idea for the project was inspired by the time Denley and her family spent living in Denmark, where she and her husband could get around the city without access to a vehicle.
She noticed her children were more independent because they were able to get around on their own.
“They were just so autonomous because there was infrastructure that provided them with ways that they could just bike – bike themselves to school, bike themselves to swimming lessons,” said Denley.
The goal of the Shift program is to encourage people to consider a shift in their commuting habits to include active transportation by giving them a taste of life on two or three wheels.
