Shift NWT, a Yellowknife bike-share program, will introduce free rides for seniors on a specialized bike as it becomes a chapter of broader group Cycling Without Age.
With $60,000 in funding from the GNWT over three years, Shift NWT said it will purchase a trishaw – an e-tricycle with a bench seat on the front that can fit two people – and have the bike ready for summer 2027. The program will be available to seniors and people with restricted mobility, the group said.
Cycling Without Age started in Denmark in 2012. There are chapters in every province in Canada and one in Yukon.
“The aim of Cycling Without Age Yellowknife will be to create meaningful connections, reduce loneliness, foster social inclusion, and promote active living,” a news release stated.
“As we age, our ability to access the civic events and amenities we value becomes more challenging. Cycling Without Age will allow Elders direct access to destinations like the Frame Lake trail, the farmers’ market, cafés, parades and celebrations.”
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Shift NWT said the trishaw will be stored at Avens. The group is looking for volunteers to drive the bike. The organization also asked corporate sponsors to contact them if they are interested in sponsoring the program.
The trishaw will be limited in where it can go around Yellowknife because of its size and low speed, and some roads don’t have bike or multi-use paths.
“This is another reminder to the City of Yellowknife to consider the design and update of its streets to better accommodate all users,” Shift NWT said.
The organization currently has bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and e-tricycles that can be rented for free for two weeks. Along with the trishaw, the group plans to buy an accessible tricycle in 2027 and a wheelchair pilot bike in 2028.
