TransLink will be installing a total of 71 bike lockers at six transit hubs as part of its On-Demand Bike Parking Pilot, which aims to provide customers with more convenient bike parking options.
The new on-demand bike parking facilities are the first of their kind in British Columbia, with keyless entry and mobile payment. Customers can now store their bike in individual outdoor bike lockers at anytime, without booking in advance.
“This initiative is part of our goal to make it easier for people to combine cycling and transit into their everyday travel,” said Jeffrey Busby, TransLink’s acting vice president of Engineering. “Introducing this state-of-the-art technology to our transit system will give customers another convenient place to store their bike and make it even easier to use green transportation in Metro Vancouver.”
The new on-demand bike lockers are now available to use through the “Bikeep” app, which is free to download through the GooglePlay or App Store on your smartphone. The new lockers use 100 percent solar power and are now available at Moody Centre Station and Carvolth Exchange, the first of six pilot locations to receive new lockers.
In total, 71 bike lockers will be installed at the following transit hubs over the coming months:
- Moody Centre Station (Available now)
- Carvolth Exchange (Available now)
- Lonsdale Quay Exchange
- 22nd Street Station
- VCC-Clark Station
- Richmond-Brighouse Station
In addition to new bike lockers, TransLink also installed new on-demand bike racks at Moody Centre Station with additional racks coming to Lonsdale Quay Exchange later this summer. These new bike parking options join a suite of currently available options across the transit network, including Bike Parkades, bike lockers and bike racks. Cost of use is C$0.10 (US$0.08) per hour capped at C$1 (US$0.81) per day, and C$10 (US$8.10) for unlimited monthly subscription.
“Bike theft continues to be a barrier that holds people back from cycling more often,” says Erin O’Melinn, HUB Cycling’s executive director. “Providing better end of trip facilities, like these bike lockers, will help people safely store their bikes and other cycling gear and shift towards adopting cycling and transit into their daily commute.”
This pilot will monitor customer usage and response to the new service through fall 2021. If successful, TransLink will develop plans for rolling this technology out to more locations in the future.
