Dear Supporter,
Wow! In 2 short days you have demonstrated overwhelming support for bike share in Hamilton. Our petition currently has over 5,300 signatures, and that number just keeps growing. Thanks for your support and everything you have done so far to help save bike share.
We’re writing to ask for your help again so we can demonstrate city-wide support for bike share.
We’ve drafted a sample email for you to send to your councillor to show your support for bike share. Click here to see what ward you are in and who your councillor is. Feel free to use the template or write your own email. Either way, please share the reasons why you support bike share and cc Cycle Hamilton at advocacy@cyclehamont.ca.
Here’s where we are at.
On Wednesday, Council had an initial discussion about bike share. There was unanimous agreement at Council that Uber should honour their contract and continue operating the system until February 2021. We completely agree and understand that those negotiations are ongoing.
If we can’t get Uber to honour their initial contract, residents need to know that they will still have access to bike share on June 1st. We are calling on the City to financially support bike share operations if that’s what is needed to ensure it continues.
Cities around the world already provide public funding to bike share operations, including the City of Toronto and City of Montreal. This is an essential service and part of our transportation network. A staff report this week has outlined the estimated operating cost to be $700,000 per year. This can also be offset by user fees and sponsorships.
No decisions were made at the meeting but we heard strong opposition to investing any public funds to save bike share if needed and one of the reasons was that bike share is not a City-wide system. We know that bike share has city-wide benefits and is used and supported by residents and members from across Hamilton.
We need your help to demonstrate city-wide support for saving bike share!
Because we want to demonstrate the City-wide support for this program, it is especially important for you to contact your councillor if you live outside of the lower city operating area. Your councillor needs to hear from you even if your ward doesn’t have a bike share hub.
Council will be discussing the future of bike share again on May 27th. In the meantime, staff have been directed to investigate storage options should bike share cease to operate on June 1st. We don’t want to see this happen and hope that the City will recognize the value of this asset and take the steps needed to keep bike share operating.
Please contact your councillor today and let them know that if it comes to it, you support a public investment in bike share operations come June 1st.
Thanks for your support!