Member Spotlight: City of Hamilton

The City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Bike Share system has had much to celebrate recently, despite the difficulties brought on by the global pandemic. One recent success that has continued through the operational challenges is the Everyone Rides Initiative – Canada’s first bikeshare equity program. They’re proud of the people it’s served and the program’s ability to build community, capacity, and behavior change towards sustainable modes.

This year, the program also faced hardship due to the early departure of Uber Inc. as the system’s operator. They quickly pivoted to a new operator, which became Hamilton Bike Share Inc., the nonprofit group that operates the Everyone Rides Program. This relationship further strengthened the connection between the bikeshare service and equity integration. In the midst of this, Hamilton refurbished all stations and has plans to add capacity to many of their stations in critical areas.

Additionally, Hamilton worked with IBI Group to complete a micromobility business model study which will inform the City of Hamilton’s plans to launch a comprehensive micromobility system in 2021.

The City of Hamilton’s partnership with Hamilton Bike Share Inc., the nonprofit operator of the Everyone Rides Program, has allowed the bikeshare program to flourish during the pandemic, despite operational challenges, and has ensured that people who rely on the service are still able to ride.

When asked what they like most about being a NABSA member, Hamilton said their membership has helped them get the resources and connections required to meet and overcome their challenges this year. It would have been very challenging to conduct interviews, get data on other programs, understand the state of the industry, and inform their direction without it.  Most importantly, they required the information quickly, and NABSA was there when they needed the organization the most.