City of Hamilton: Hamilton Bike Share Program

Initially proposed by the McMaster Sustainability Office and the McMaster Students Union, the idea of a bike share system in Hamilton was pitched to Peter, Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility Programs with the City of Hamilton, for a student bike share system on McMaster’s Campus.

They met with a warm reception: Peter pitched back – the idea of a bike share system that would serve not only McMaster students, but also the broader Hamilton community.  The main objectives of the project were to feed Hamilton’s main transit corridors, encourage the use of sustainable modes of transportation, decrease residents’ dependence on single‐occupancy vehicles, increase physical activity in daily commuting amongst households, and foster a culture of cycling in the City.   Launched in 2015, it’s been about a year, and to date, over 10,600 people have used the system at least once, and there are currently 9,500 active members–far exceeding projections from the original business case.   And all that pedaling is estimated to have saved CO2e Emissions of 72.2 tonnes – and eased traffic congestion as well.