Calgary's new e-bike pilot takes off at two CTrain stations

Calgarians will now have a chance to make their daily commute easier and test e-bikes at two major CTrain stations, Franklin and Canyon Meadows.

The City of Calgary's new e-bike pilot program has officially been launched right on time for Bike Month — riders will have access to a total of 60 e-bikes and will be able to ride free for the first 10 minutes of their journey once every day.

The city is teaming up with two micromobility companies, Neuron Mobility and Bird Canada for the e-bike project that will run until September 30.

"This pilot will help the city understand the demand for shared e-Bikes in suburban areas and where people are using them to travel to and from," said Erin Felker, a transportation planner with Planning and Development Services, in a news release.

She added that if the pilot project does well, it could be expanded to other stations.

More transit options in the suburbs

Commuters interested in testing out the e-bikes at Canyon Meadows station need to download the Bird Canada app. Meanwhile, riders at Franklin station can rent an e-bike via the Neuron app.

The e-bikes will be restricted to certain "ride zones," namely specific areas near the two CTrain stations.

"The idea is then instead of getting off the train and having to walk or catch a ride, or perhaps wait for a local transit bus, they could ride an e-bike to their destination in that community," Felker said, explaining that e-bikes can help decrease total travel time.

"We are hoping to have Calgarians think about transportation as a complete door-to-door service and not just individual pieces of a trip," she added.

Commuters' needs to be taken into account

According to Felker, her team's goal is to gauge interest in micromobility services among commuters in the suburbs.

Jon Lea, a senior consultant with Calgary Transit, believes that these new options can make transit more accessible for everyone.

"Allowing e-bikes at stations beyond downtown is a great opportunity for customers to explore different first and last mile connections and see what works for them," he said.

Customers won't have to worry about charging stations — Neuron Mobility and Bird Canada employees will take on the responsibility of charging the e-bikes and returning them to the CTrain stations.

What about ensuring the availability of e-bikes at peak hours? The companies have a solution, according to Felker, who said that customers' preferences will be taken into account.

"The companies will monitor to see what the need is," she said. "They [the e-bikes] for sure are returned at around 4:00 in the afternoon…for the peak commuter time, but they will be bringing them back throughout the day as needed."

Safety is a top concern 

While the City of Calgary has announced a bike safety campaign and has recommendations in place for bike riders, things feel uncertain to Caly Tao, a new Calgarian who moved to the city five months ago.

E-bike riders and passengers are required to wear helmets at all times. However, Tao reckons that many riders may not have access to helmets which could serve as a deterrent to experimenting with e-bikes.

"For these bikes, I think it will be better to bring the helmet together with the bike," she said, suggesting that helmets should be provided by micromobility companies.

Tao is also worried about the seats and says she's not tall enough to ride an e-bike with her eight-year-old.

"This bike is too big for me," she said, explaining that the seats need a bit of tweaking to ensure they can accommodate two passengers, specifically parents commuting with their kids.

"It's not very convenient," she added.