Whether you’re a bike lover or just excited by cutting-edge community initiatives, there’s good news coming your way : The Town of Golden’s Community Bike Share program will be launched next week.
The program, announced last fall, features 15 bikes that can be dropped off and picked up at 2 Cycle Stations in town.
The launch, which will also serve as the grand opening for the Whitewater Amenity Hub, will take place at the Golden Municipal Campground from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm on Thursday, May 26th
Anyone is invited to come out to the event to try out the bikes or get a tour of the amenity hub.
The Golden Community Bike Share (GCBS) has three goals: to promote active transportation and a healthy life style, to reduce green house gas emissions from the use of cars and to reduce bike theft.
Golden is the first community in Canada to have a third generation (referring to the computer technology used to track the bikes) bike share system, and the second, after Montreal, to have any type of bike sharing program.
“A dedicated group of active transportation advocates envisioned having a community bike share and this innovative program is a perfect fit for the Resort Municipality Initiative funding,” said Lisa Reinders, Manager of Leisure Services for the Town of Golden. “The committee, including myself, is excited about having a bike share program in our community.”
The GCBS features 15 Sahara Gold coloured bikes and 2 Cycle Stations (racks and kiosks) located at the Golden Municipal Campground and the Spirit Square. Members will be able to access a bike during the spring and summer months with a swipe card by signing up for a membership.
These Cycle Stations will provide co-ordinators and managers of the program with information in regards to which member has accessed a bike and when, how long they have had the bike for and when the bike was returned.
The Kona Africa Three bike is a three -speed bike with a basket and rack. The bike is part of the Bikes for Africa Program created by Kona to provide transportation to medical professionals in rural Africa. For every two Kona Africa Three bikes that are purchased, one goes to Africa.
Sandvault Group Global Solutions (SGGS), the company from Richmond, BC who installed the bike stations, has been providing such service since the mid-2000s.
“Bike sharing is an idea that is finally starting to take off,” Derek Moenick, a representative for Sandvault Group, told the Golden Star in the fall. “The first generation of bike sharing started in the ‘60s in Europe. The problem was that there was no way to track the bikes, and they simply disappeared. But now, with the technology the way it is, these third generation bike sharing programs have so much less worry behind them.”
Moenick said he is proud to bring this system to Golden.
The Town is planning a few fun games and activities for the launch, as well as live entertainment by Tony Bell and music by Mike Pecora, special guest speakers and a tour of the Whitewater Amenity Hub — otherwise known as the Golden Municipal Campground/Whistle Stop Outpost. Information about memberships/user requirements and pricing will be available at the event.
The event will conclude with the screening of Adventures for the Cure at St. Andrew’s United Church and Centre for Peace at 7pm. The documentary follows three young men who set off to cross the United States on single-speed, fixed-gear bicycles to raise money and awareness for diabetes and to help disabled Kenyan kids.
The film is narrated by the three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and has been awarded the People’s Choice Award at the 2008 Beloit International Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2008 Bicycle Film Festival.
