Hamilton Bike Share receives boost from city as councillors support increase in funding
Service could add another 100 bikes, bringing total to about 1,000: city staff
Hamilton city councillors have voted to continue supporting Hamilton Bike Share and consider a funding increase in the 2026 and 2027 budget process.
The vote at council's General Issues Committee passed 13-0 Wednesday. Members voted in favour of a city staff report recommending an increase next year of $258,000 for a total contribution of $744,000 to Hamilton Bike Share Inc. — the non-profit that operates the service.
Bike share users pay to rent bicycles parked at hubs spread throughout much of the city. Using an app, they can unlock a bike and ride it, then return it elsewhere.
According to city staff, the program has 32,000 active members and logged 500,000 rides in 2024. Hamilton Bike Share expects about 700,000 rides this year, staff said.
In the meeting, Coun. Mark Tadeson (Ward 11) said that while many in his rural and suburban ward may not immediately benefit from bike share — which operates primarily in the lower city — he hopes it can one day expand, helping people access trails and potential future recreation facilities.
"I can see that happening and am willing to invest and build now," he said.
"I'm hoping this will be a spark that gets us to make sure our cycling network is better," Coun. Cameron Kroetch (Ward 2) said, adding bike share was something he was excited about when he moved to Hamilton.
Funding to support about 1,000 bikes
Wednesday's vote came after councillors deferred a decision in December, asking staff to come back with more data on the service.
In a presentation Wednesday, Hamilton's manager of active transportation and mobility Peter Topalovic said the staff recommendation would support the addition of 100 bikes, bringing the total to about 1,000.
Hamilton Bike Share pays about 67 per cent of the cost to run the service, with the city pitching in the remaining 33 per cent, Topalovic said. Following the funding increase, the city will pay about $62 per bike, per month.
The non-profit, which took over from Uber in 2020, is in "good financial standing and sustainable" based on projected financial information, Topalovic said.
The bike share program celebrated its 10-year anniversary in March. Since its launch, Topalovic said, the program has seen 3 million trips, totalling over 6.5 million kilometres.
He added that 23 per cent of bike share users report replacing car trips with their bikes, and 41 per cent use the service en route to public transit. The program is "designed to feed [Hamilton Street Railway] and GO stops," he said.
McMaster grad students to receive bike share pass
In March, McMaster University graduate students voted in a referendum, approving a discounted bike share pass for full-time students. As a result, next academic year, 5,000 students will gain access to the service for $24.50 annually, down from the usual price of $192 plus tax.
This follows a referendum in 2024 which established a similar pass for 30,000 undergraduate students at the west Hamilton institution.
Paris Liu and Sarah Gonder, two members of McMaster Students for Bike Share, delegated to the committee on Wednesday, telling councillors the undergraduate pass — which their group advocated for — has led to much more cycling on campus.
As a student commuting to class before the pass existed, Gonder experienced cat calls and felt unsafe waiting "alone in the dark" for buses, she said.
Bike share, Gonder said, is a "safety lifeline for many people," allowing them to travel more conveniently and independently.
Liu told councillors she plans to move to Europe, where cycling infrastructure is better, and said she hopes improvements can happen here.
"If Hamilton wants to keep young people here, it needs to invest in the infrastructure that makes cities livable," she said.
Another delegate, downtown resident Nicole Smith, told councillors she would use bike share more if she felt safer riding on city streets.
"This is a problem and so I would really, really urge you all to continue to do the great work that you're doing. Continue to build infrastructure. Continue to support bike share," she said.
About 45 people registered to speak or wrote in to share their thoughts on bike share and the staff recommendation. Everyone who spoke was supportive of the city continuing to fund the program.
On Thursday morning, Hamilton Bike Share posted a statement on Instagram, saying city support will ensure the system can continue to be "affordable, accessible, and convenient."
"Thank you to everyone in the community who came forward to share their stories and advocate for continuing to fund the system. We are so touched to hear of all the different ways Hamilton Bike Share has impacted people's lives over the past 10 years, and proud to be a part of this community," it said.
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With files from Desmond Brown