Vancouver bike share set to roll at last!

The City of Vancouver's long-awaited bike share program is finally readyto roll.

The bicycle rentalnetwork which will eventually include up to1,500 bikesis set to launch over the next couple of weeks, said Jerry Dobrovolny, the city's general manager of engineering

Vancouver's bike shareprogram was first announced nearly sevenyears ago but has been plagued by setbacks.

But earlier this year, the city signed a five-year agreement with CycleHop Canada to operate the program. Over the last couple of weeks,bike stations havecropped upover the city,

• Vancouver to launch bike sharing service this summer

The service areas will include downtown Vancouver, and will be bordered by Arbutus Street, West16thAvenueand Main Street.A second phase could broaden the zone from Macdonald Street in the westto Commercial Drive in the east.

Dobrovolny said bike share program will make it even easier for Vancouver commuters to bike to work, noting that cycling trips increased 32 per cent last year, with more than 130,000 trips per day.

"We're leading North America in journey to work trips," Dobrovolny said.

"So what itmeans is that already, for a city that already makes is easy to get around without owning a car, it makes it even easier."

'Exploded' in popularity

Bike share programs have "exploded" in popularity in major cities across the globein the last decade, he noted.

The bike rentals are aimed at both commuters and tourists. Dobrovolny said stations will be located atcycling-friendly spots near established bike routes such as Hornby Street, the seawall and False Creek as well as near SkyTrain stations and bus stops.

The bike share program will operate much like a car share, with annual memberships and ride costs tabulatedbased on time. An early bird membership plan, which ends July 31, is available for $99 for a year, with unlimited free rides that take less than half an hour.

CycleHop will provide helmets for those who don't have their own. They will also supply a beanie cap for hygiene.

City council approved the bike share program in July 2013.It wasinitiallyexpectedto launch by early 2014, butissues with its bicycle supplier,Bixi, and the company that was contracted to run the program,AltaBike Share,delayed the program.

In early 2014, it was announced the company that owns Bixi owed $50 million to various creditors, including the City of Montrealand that it was headed for bankruptcy.

Last year, the city announced it wouldseeka new companyto install and operate the program.