Many Calgarians already take advantage of car-sharing in the city, but a new move could bring more two-wheeled transport to Calgary in a big way.
The city says a “dockless” bike-sharing program could be up and running on Calgary streets by as early as this summer.
The idea works a lot like Car2go, according to the creator. Users log in to an app, locate a bicycle, unlock it and ride away.
The dockless system allows users to park the bikes where they wish, instead of at docking stations traditionally used with rental bikes.
That system has caused problems in other cities, where authorities have had to round up bikes left blocking traffic and walkways, or even some that end up in rivers.
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“We need to regulate it so that we don’t end up with clusters of bikes blocking access for a particular building or a particular street,” Tom Thivener, the city’s active transportation projects coordinator, said.
Over a dozen companies have now approached his department hoping to set up shop.
Thivener said any Calgary bike-share company will have to sign an agreement and abide by certain rules. The city will limit the number of companies entering the market and the number of shared bikes on Calgary streets.