ValleyBike Share Program Returns to Campus Aug. 12

After one year of immobility, the ValleyBike Share program will make its return to the UMass Amherst campus and participating Pioneer Valley communities on Aug. 12 as part of three-year agreement with a new operations and management company.<_o3a_p>

On July 23, Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and the city's Planning and Sustainability Office, the lead community and agency for the regional effort, announced the new system partnership with Drop Mobility (Drop), who was selected as the vendor to bring the ValleyBike program back to the participating municipalities in Hampshire and Hampden counties and the UMass Amherst campus. A total of 300 existing bikes and 50 Drop e-bikes will be included in the systemwide relaunch this year.<_o3a_p>

E-bikes in the ValleyBike system will begin rolling out on Saturday, Aug. 10 and will be rentable on Monday, Aug 12 with plans to have five docking and charging stations located throughout campus active as possible on the first day of operation, according to Amber Wason, vice president of Growth and Innovation at Drop Mobility.<_o3a_p>

"The exact number of e-bikes is TBD, but our goal is to have as many stations functional as possible," Wason said. "Phase one of the system is scheduled to deploy and run through the end of 2024. Phase two will begin next year and includes system expansion."<_o3a_p>

ValleyBike first launched in 2018 with five participating Pioneer Valley communities as an integrated bike share system that extends the regions public transit system. Through the use of electronically assisted bicycles-known as e-assist bikes or e-bikes that are supported by docking/charging stations connected to an electrical source-the program supports reduction in single-occupancy vehicle trips and greenhouse gas emissions by providing short-range commuting and travel alternatives, and affordable mobility options for riders.<_o3a_p>

UMass Amherst Campus Sustainability Manager Ezra Small, who serves on the regional ValleyBike committee, said the campus will have five working docking and charging stations for this fall relaunch. Those stations are located at or near the Worcester Dining Commons, the Integrated Learning Center (ILC), Herter Hall/Haigis Mall and Southwest and Sylvan residential areas.<_o3a_p>

"Having this program relaunched and available before students return for the fall semester will provide affordable sustainable alternative transportation options for our campus community and beyond," said Small. "It helps us reduce transportation related emissions by taking cars off the road and as a result reduce congestion and air pollution."<_o3a_p>

Small is thrilled to have the program return to the Pioneer Valley and specifically the UMass Amherst campus after a nearly two-year absence. UMass had some of the best ridership participation in the first years of the program. <_o3a_p>

According to an assessment report during its previous existence from 2019 to 2022, ValleyBike ridership increased from approximately 80,000 trips to more than 100,000 trips with most popularity in Amherst and the UMass Amherst campus, which tallied close to 40,900 trips in 2022.<_o3a_p>

Bewegen Technologies, Inc., the original operator, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and shut down its operations for all 79 bike charging stations and approximately 700 e-bikes owned by the regional municipalities and UMass Amherst in the program. By then, the program had expanded to include nine municipalities.<_o3a_p>

This spring, Drop, an e-bike share company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, entered into a three-year contract with Northampton. The contract was signed by UMass, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and all the participating municipalities: Northampton, Amherst, Chicopee, Easthampton, Holyoke, Springfield, South Hadley and West Springfield.<_o3a_p>

The company agreed to operation and maintenance of the equipment, which includes the existing fleet of approximately 700 e-bikes and 79 docking stations. Drop will also assist with its related software maintenance, upkeep, and assisting municipalities with bringing in more sponsor support.<_o3a_p>

Small added he is also working with colleagues within the Five College system and Drop on developing discounted membership opportunities for students at Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and UMass Amherst.<_o3a_p>

"This program reaches beyond our campus by connecting our students to downtown while providing opportunities to have fun exercising, enjoying the outdoors and exploring the Pioneer Valley, which is one of the most beautiful areas in New England during the fall season," Small said.<_o3a_p>

More information and details about pricing, equity memberships pre-sale deals and the app can be found on the ValleyBike website.<_o3a_p>

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