UBC has entered into a license agreement with Dropbike, Canada’s first and only hub-based smart bike sharing and micro-mobility company, to deliver a public bike share system at the UBC Vancouver campus.
The 12-month pilot program will launch this summer with up to 200 bikes and may grow to as many as 2,000 bikes over the pilot period. The service will cover the entire UBC campus, including academic and neighbourhood areas. Dropbike, who has partnered with several campuses and cities across North America, was chosen following a competitive RFP process.
Dropbike will operate the system at no cost to the University. UBC Campus and Community Planning will be administering the pilot with support from TransLink’s New Mobility Program.
“With this partnership with UBC we want to ensure that bike share is made as accessible and affordable as possible for everyone,” said Qiming Weng, CEO of Dropbike. “This program will not only provide a fun and flexible way to move across campus and through UBC’s neighbourhoods, but it will also serve as a stepping stone to what we call a micro-mobility future.”
“Our goal here is to ensure that our program is organized reliable, and convenient,” said Weng.
Dropbikes can be parked at specially marked "havens", or anywhere you would park your own bike. Designated parking spots are marked in the app as well as physically.
“Dropbike offers a great solution to the last-mile problem for UBC students, staff and faculty that arrive to campus by transit, or for anyone needing to get across campus quickly” said Adam Hyslop, Transportation Planner at Campus and Community Planning.
“With this pilot we will work closely with Dropbike, our university partners, and the Neighbourhoods Association to make the most of having a bike share on campus.”
Dropbike will visit the UBC Vancouver campus on Thursday, May 31, as part of the Bike to Work Week Celebration Station outside the UBC Bookstore.
For more information visit transportation.ubc.ca/dropbike