Carbondale and Glenwood Springs will have to wait longer for bike-sharing in town.<\/p>\n
WE-cycle, which launched the first-ever free bike-sharing program in Aspen and Basalt last year, told the Carbondale board of trustees that it will need another year to put together a comprehensive, regional plan for bike-sharing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good news is, bike share is coming. The slow news is,
\nit\u2019s going to take longer,\u201d WE-cycle founder Mirte Mallory told the Carbondale trustees.<\/p>\n
WE-cycle initially planned to roll out the bike share in Carbondale in 2020, but the extra planning means bikes won\u2019t be on the streets until 2021.<\/p>\n
RFTA, which currently partners with WE-cycle, needs more time to develop a plan, and marshal financial resources to deploy services further down valley.<\/p>\n
Carbondale Dan Richardson said the delay was disappointing but could result in better service. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s unfortunate that we can’t implement something in 2020, but I think, as a whole, mobility in the region will benefit from a little bit more thoughtful thinking on RFTA\u2019s part,\u201d Richardson said. <\/p>\n
A large part of the considerations is how to pay for the service. In Aspen and Basalt, the first 30 minutes of use on the shared bikes is free, and after that come some steep fees to discourage longer use. But that requires significant investment from both public and private sources.<\/p>\n
Carbondale and Glenwood Springs may also have
\ndifferent needs, RFTA CEO Dan Blankenship said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be working through a variety of
\nissues to try to determine what bike share systems will look like in Carbondale
\nand in Glenwood Springs,\u201d Blankenship said.<\/p>\n
Aspen and Basalt both have standard bikes in the bike share, but e-bikes may be in the mix for Carbondale, since the main BRT station is a half-mile from downtown, and many bus users come from further south.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat might be a little too much of a distance
\nfor people to use traditional pedal bikes, and we might be looking at possibly
\nincorporating e-bikes,\u201d Blankenship said.<\/p>\n
Glenwood Springs may also be a candidate for e-bikes as well. And further in the future, Blankenship thinks e-bikes might be good for New Castle, which has more varied elevation.<\/p>\n
As for the cost, Blankenship said it helps if the service is free, and makes a bigger impact in RFTA\u2019s commitment to improve first-mile and last-mile commutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s free in Aspen and free in the mid-valley, then
\nthere\u2019s an argument that it should be free in Carbondale, Glenwood and other
\nplaces,\u201d Blankenship said.<\/p>\n
But that requires more planning. RFTA is also considering
\nwhether to continue a contractual relationship with WE-cycle, or bring those
\nservices in-house.<\/p>\n
According to minutes from RFTA\u2019s September board meeting, implementation
\nof Carbondale\u2019s bike share could start in 2021. The planning for Glenwood Springs
\nis anticipated for 2021. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about figuring out the appropriate solution for each
\ncommunity, on a town-by-town approach,\u201d Mallory said.<\/p>\n
While the delay of the bike share in Carbondale was
\ndisappointing to some town trustees, Richardson said it was not an urgent need.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think also, we realized that while there will be great benefit, it\u2019s not urgent at this moment,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n