ValleyBike unlikely to return until 2024 as a new vendor is sought

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Paul Tuthill

Published May 25, 2023 at 4:39 PM EDT

No electric-assist bicycles are available at this kiosk in downtown Springfield, MA or at any of the docking stations in the ValleyBike system because the program vendor is seeking a new contract and no long will do field work such as repairing the bikes and transporting them around the network of docking stations. — No electric-assist bicycles are available at this kiosk in downtown Springfield, MA or at any of the docking stations in the ValleyBike system. Officials say the regional bicycle sharing program will likely not return until 2024 as a new vendor is being sought by the participating communities.

Ridership had grown steadily since the regional bicycle sharing system launched five years ago.

A popular regional bicycle sharing program in western Massachusetts will not operate this year.

ValleyBike, which launched in 2018, is being temporarily shutdown while the participating communities seek a new vendor for the bicycle sharing network.

Earlier this year, ValleyBike share operator Bewegen initiated bankruptcy proceedings in its home country Canada and said it would no longer honor its existing contracts.

Efforts failed to find a short-term solution to get bikes back on the streets for this season in the member communities of Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Northampton, South Hadley, and Amherst.

WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Carolyn Misch, Director of Planning and Sustainability for the city of Northampton, the lead community for the bike share program.