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Metro Vancouver’s bike-sharing is fractured. Is there any way to fix it?

Most municipalities have their own system, creating a patchwork of providers that dont' work in different municipalities

Good morning,

It turns out many popular artists are skipping Vancouver on their tours, including Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga. What’s the deal? Apparently BC Place is booked up, especially with the FIFA World Cup. I guess that’s a good problem to have? 

You might say our newsletters get booked up fast, with news that is. And today is no different, with a story on bike sharing, and your guide to the arts this week.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

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PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Wednesday: 26 🌡️ 17 | ☀️

Thursday: 27 🌡️ 17 | ☀️

Friday: 23 🌡️ 14 | 🌤️

TRANSPORTATION

Metro Vancouver’s bikesharing is fractured. Is there any way to fix it?

This story is only accessible for Vancity Lookout paying members like yourself. Thank you for supporting our hyper-local journalism in Ottawa. Please enjoy this story.

Written by Dustin Godfrey

A sliver of sun shone through an otherwise rainy spring in late March, bringing Vancouver cyclists out in droves — among them, patrons of the Mobi bike-sharing system, which is going on 10 years next February.

In certain areas of the city, it’s become normal to see the racks, covering roughly the same roadside space that would typically fit one car, loaded with half a dozen Mobi bicycles plastered red with their telecommunications sponsor branding.

And for some, it’s become routine to approach those racks, punch their PIN code into one of the bikes and take it for a spin.

One patron on 10th Avenue, near Fraser Street, said he uses the service daily — sometimes even a couple of times in a day, often riding to the beach, to see friends or to go shopping.

Further west, near Cambie Street, Mackenzie Kuenz is dismounting her Mobi bike to see a friend.

“I’ve been using Mobi bikes for about a year now. I started last March, and it’s been really great for me,” Kuenz said.

“It’s honestly the way I move around the city the most.”

As Metro Vancouver municipalities look at their transportation networks, more services have entered the scene, including the addition of Lime e-scooters in some areas of Vancouver and other shared micromobility services in the North Shore, New Westminster and Surrey.

It adds up to unprecedented access for Metro Vancouver residents to cycling and micromobility. However, without a cohesive model for the region, it has developed into a fractured system with a variety of private services operating in geographic siloes.

A Lime bike user in New Westminster, for instance, will see their heavy e-bike’s motor cut out before it crosses over into Burnaby. And a person who lives in Surrey but works in Vancouver would need memberships with two different services if they want to include bike sharing services as part of their regular commute on both sides of the SkyTrain.

What other cities are doing

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New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone, one of the region’s more vocal elected cycling advocates, outlined three models for operating bikeshare programs: a municipally owned program, as in Montreal; a free-for-all for private entities to provide their own programs, as in San Diego; and a more curated, privatized program involving a request for proposals from the municipality for a company to provide a bikeshare service, which is what New West opted for.

New West’s model is similar to Vancouver’s, giving an effective monopoly to owner-operator Mobi, owned by CycleHop Canada, until the recent introduction of Lime e-scooters. Except where Vancouver paid Mobi $5-million fee for five years of service, New Westminster charges Lime for occupying street space where the e-bikes are stationed.

Johnstone was particularly critical of the San Diego model, saying it has “turned into a bit of a disaster in a few places where that’s happened because it does become this gold rush thing,” with little accountability for the many complaints that arise.

Johnstone said the challenge in the first model, where the service is owned by the municipality, is that cities’ finances tend to make them more risk-averse, so they would rather leave the cost of investment — along with the potential for revenue — to the private sector.

“We would have had to invest a lot of money in a program that we don’t know whether that program is going to work or not. So I think it’s just risk management,” Johnstone said.

Integration a challenge

Meghan Winters, an SFU health sciences professor who studies transportation and city design, said suburbs present a particularly strong opportunity for shared micromobility services, which could fill a gap in bus service and connect people to the SkyTrain.

Winters’ work includes studying Mobi and other shared micromobility services through the Cities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab, and one study, based on a 2021 survey, found Metro Vancouver residents most often walk to access transit.

People were twice as likely to drive or be driven to transit than to take a bicycle, an e-bike or an e-scooter.

But respondents said they would use shared e-bike and e-scooter services to get to and from transit, with a large majority saying the programs should integrate with existing transit and that they should be able to pay for the program with their transit pass.

“In all the studies over 10 years, people say it would be great if this was seamless. It would be great if it was part and parcel of my transit pass. It would be great if there was just one card I had to use,” Winters said.

Kuenz and another Mobi user who spoke to the Lookout both agreed with that sentiment.

“I think transportation should be free in general — I think we shouldn’t be paying how much we’re paying for the bus — and I think if we were able to integrate, that would be really cool,” Kuenz said.

However, the privatized and fractured nature of shared micromobility services in the region doesn’t lend itself to integrating those services with public transit, Winters said.

Johnstone similarly said it would be easier for TransLink to develop a regional service than for the region’s 21 municipalities to try to coordinate their services — though financial hardships likely mean it’s not a top priority.

“I think it’s probably … the right entity to do it. I don’t know if they’re in a place to do it right now,” Johnstone said.

While Metro Vancouver’s mayors, including Johnstone, have some say in how TransLink operates through the Mayors’ Council and could start the conversation about expanding into micromobility, Johnstone said that would be more under the purview of TransLink’s board of directors.

TransLink said in an email that it is “developing a Micromobility Regional Vision to see how micromobility could potentially be expanded throughout Metro Vancouver.”

“At this time, we are developing the vision based on engagement with micromobility providers and will have more to say when the plan is complete,” spokesperson Dan Mountain said.

Other successful models

Still, there is some potential for collaboration between municipalities. Winters points to the North Shore as an example, where the three municipalities came together in 2021 to pilot a common e-bike sharing program.

Capital Bikeshare in Washington

Capital Bikeshare in Washington, DC. Flickr/Andrew Griffith

She also pointed to the Washington, DC area as an example that has seen even broader collaboration, with Capital Bikeshare operating throughout the city’s metropolitan region. That doesn’t just mean operating across city lines, but across state lines, with that region spanning seven municipalities and counties across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

One advocate in the area notes Capital Bikeshare has been a resounding success.

Samuel Littauer is an elected member of his local advisory neighbourhood commission, and he writes the Bikeshare Beat column for Greater Greater Washington.

Littauer’s writing in the last year has been full of good news for Capital Bikeshare: “For the fifth straight month, CaBi breaks ridership record,” reads an Oct. 21, 2024 headline, followed a month later with “CaBi breaks all-time annual ridership record…in October.”

And that surge in users has only continued into the new year.

“Capital Bikeshare ridership has been increasing year-over-year in its monthly ridership trip totals for the past 41 months, now,” Littauer said.

At 6.1 million rides in 2024, Capital Bikeshare grew 36% over 2023, higher than any metro area in the US, including the 31% growth in San Francisco and the 28% growth seen in Boston and New York.

Part of the program’s success, he said, is about Washington’s year-round fairweather climate. Another part, however, is an investment in infrastructure during the pandemic, when most regions’ bikeshare program funding fell off a cliff.

“It’s noteworthy that they chose to invest in something publicly while the ridership was actually at its lowest,” Littauer said.

That runs counter to how many governments approach programs, assuming that a low yield means it isn’t worth investment. Instead, he said, governments should look at low ridership as a reason to invest more to improve the service.

“I think Capital Bikeshare is a shining example of that,” he said.

Along the 10th Avenue cycling route in Vancouver, Kuenz raised a similar issue with Mobi’s bikesharing program. While there may be plenty of stations for the bikes in certain areas, it doesn’t reach everywhere she would like to see it, particularly in South Vancouver neighbourhoods such as Dunbar.

Littauer said infrastructure — both cycling infrastructure and the bikeshare infrastructure — is one of the most important factors in people accessing the system.

But cost can be a major factor, and part of that does come back to the integration with transit — or lack thereof.

“It’s great if you’re doing this instead of an Uber, maybe that’s a comparable price point, but if you’ve already paid for your transit pass, and then it’s going to be another $12 to get home on top of that, that’s a real choice,” Winters said.

“A lot of the programs, the operators have equity incentive programs, or inclusive mobility programs that would have discounted rates for a whole host of different people. … I think when done well, this is a great solution. They often exist, but are not well advertised, and so they’re not heavily used.”

For Kuenz, accessing the community pass for people with disabilities has been one of the biggest factors in how she uses Mobi. She said she finds the non-e-bikes to be clunky, especially when going uphill, and sometimes docks won’t let her take a bike out.

“I don’t think it’s a service I would pay for because it’s just not reliable enough, and it’s quite expensive,” she said.

“Since I do have access to [the community pass], I do use it all the time,” she added. “Sometimes I use it four or five times a day, if I’m going around to multiple places.”

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THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

$250 million

The B.C. government is using federal housing dollars to cover the costs of rising development fees in Metro Vancouver, so housing projects that are already in the works don’t get delayed or cancelled. Read more about this in our second story later in the newsletter.

Global sounds, homegrown stars, and three days of music by the sea

Celebrate the best of contemporary folk music from around the world at the 48th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival, July 18-20, at ʔəy̓alməxʷ / Iy̓ál̓mexw Jericho Beach Park.

Take in renowned international artists such as Bab L’ Bluz, Ruthie Foster, Margaret Glaspy, The Heavy Heavy, The Milk Carton Kids, and Watchhouse. Plus, check out Canadian artists from coast to coast with Lenny Gallant, Elisapie, Jane Siberry, Meredith Moon, and Ocie Elliott.

Experience over 40 performances on four stages, enjoy collaborative artist workshops, family-friendly activities, food trucks, artisan markets, and more.

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is the perfect summer escape in the city — where musical borders dissolve and the beach becomes the backdrop for for an incredible weekend of discovery.

HOME OF THE WEEK

A 3-bedroom condo in downtown Vancouver for under $500k?

It’s a tough situation for this owner, who purchased it in 2018 for $615,000 and is now willing to walk away with a $100,000+ loss.

The listing says this is for “brave” investors only, and reminds us this is “literally no other way into the market” in 2025, but sarcasm aside, it says a lot about our housing market that this unit at Main and Hastings is literally the only option in all of Vancouver for a family that needs three bedrooms and has a budget under half a million dollars…

THE AGENDA

✈️ For just under an hour on Tuesday, flights arriving at YVR were held or diverted to other airports, following the alleged hijacking of a small, private airplane. The pilot was taken into custody after landing at YVR, and inbound and outbound flights resumed shortly thereafter. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🔥 Sorry campers. Starting Thursday, a Category 1 campfire ban will take effect across the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the Sunshine Coast, according to B.C. Wildfire Service, meaning fires cannot be more than half a metre wide and tall. Read more. [CTV]

🎆 Following recommendations from a report on security at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival, Vancouver Police will be installing steel barriers on Beach Ave. and along all access points on Denman Street from Robson to Davie streets in an effort to protect attendees of the Celebration of Light fireworks competition. Read more. [CHEK]

🎽 Lululemon has signed a lease to take over the former Microsoft office at 725 Granville St., adding nearly 300,000 sq. ft. of office space to its Vancouver portfolio. Read more. [CoStar]

💰 Crime Stoppers is now accepting tips from extortion victims - not just witnesses of crime - following an increase in threats made against local businesses. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

ARTS GUIDE

Art

If you like the Eastside Cultural Crawl, then you’ll enjoy the Eastside Arts Festival, which will be held from July 18 to 27 at MacLean Park. The festival will include performing and visual artists, workshops, live music performances, and a beer garden. 

Astro Arts Festival is building on the legacy of the defunct Vancouver Mural Festival. It will celebrate and showcase urban art and muralism from Aug. 8-10, with a free block party at 165 West 4th Ave. 

From Aug 6-16, catch the Vinest Art Festival, featuring dance, stories and songs through performances in different parks throughout the city. 

Music

It’s music time. The Vancouver Folk Festival is on this weekend with 32 different performances. It’s obviously a great opportunity for music, but they’ve also got food, vendors, and, of course, getting to spend time at Jericho Beach. 

The 6th Annual Classical Guitar Festival goes from July 17-20, with two concerts and six classical guitarists performing in North Vancouver. 

On July 26, you can catch the 2025 Taiwanese and Canadian Musicians Concert Series, featuring the Vancouver Pops Orchestra and Choir. It’s a perfect event for the whole family. 

Movies

VIFF has a new series called the Arc of American Screen Acting, featuring the evolution of movies from World War II to the Reagan era. With Films like The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Klute and Nashville, it’s a chance to catch classics on the big screen. 

Not to be outdone, Cinematheque’s new series Film Noir 2025 explores the unique American crime series of brooding, dark crime movies. The series starts Aug. 31 and continues into August.

DEVELOPMENT

Province seeks to reduce costs on new developments

What happened: The province has announced, with $250 million in funding from the federal government, that developers who initiated a residential project before March 2024 will see fees for development charges — that go to fund city infrastructure on new developments — reduced back to the previous fee structure, which is about three times less expensive.

Okay, but what does that mean?: The housing market conditins are making financing and building new development projects a real challenge. While much of that is higher interest rates and poor market conditions, these development cost charges (DCCs), as well as other fees, developers say, are also to blame for driving up the cost of housing and making more projects unviable. 

In Vancouver, these charges have increased by around 20.4 per cent since 2023. In total, by 2027, DCCs are expected to add an average of $38,191 to the cost of a condo unit in Metro Vancouver, according to Urbanized. 

  • Metro Vancouver’s chairman of the board of directors, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, had said back in January to Business in Vancouver that the fees were needed to pay for new developments so that residents wouldn’t face higher utility bills to pay for infrastructure upgrades. 

Why it matters to Vancouver: More and more help is coming to the city and region’s housing industry. Vancouver city hall recently proposed to defer developers fees to the city, in an effort to get more homes built, according to the Vancouver Sun. All of these policies seek to address the financing and cost of building new homes.

  • Yes, but: A major Vancouver-area developer told the Vancouver Sun that this policy alone would not likely make a difference to condo projects.

Want to share your thoughts or opinions o

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The stuff of nightmares: if you saw flying ants swarming in Vancouver, we regret to inform you that you witnessed a ‘giant ant orgy’. Read more. [Daily Hive]

  • Someone on Reddit created a map of all the trees available for a hammock. Love it!

  • Richmond Centre is home to Canada’s largest residential EV site, with more than 1,200 chargers installed for residents. Read more. [Richmond News]

  • A seven-year-old conductor will direct the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at tonight’s Barbie: The Movie Live In Concert event. Sublime! [Vancouver Sun]

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Reddit/GooblerTrinkets

It’s another film camera photo, this time of the Vancouver Public Library. The light and dark… absolutely perfect!

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