An electric bike share program is coming to Surrey as a two-year pilot project, launching at the city’s Party for the Planet festival Saturday, April 27.
Bird Canada operates similar programs with e-bikes and e-scooters in several other cities, but for now the company will offer only e-bikes for sharing in Surrey, due to provincial regulations.
Users download an app to find and scan a “Bird” (e-bike), ride anywhere, then park the vehicle after it’s no longer needed. In Surrey the “unlock” fee is $1.15, plus 38 cents per minute, with “ride pass” options for single- or multi-day use.
Up to 300 e-bikes will be rolled out here eventually, starting with a “low and slow” launch of 150 in Surrey,“as people get used to it and start using it for their daily commuting,” according to Austin Spademan, Bird Canada’s head of government partnerships.
“In our setup there are designated parking sites across Surrey that are clearly marked on the app,” he explained. “All devices have GPS and can show if they’re parked properly.”
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Bird Canada was selected to operate the e-bike share system pilot last fall following a request for proposals by the City of Surrey. Surrey is not currently eligible for e-scooter operations, the RFP notes.
Asked for clarity on the matter, city communications lead Amy Jugpal sent a response from Surrey’s engineering department.
“The two-year pilot project will launch with electric bikes only,” the statement read. “While other cities in B.C. currently offer shared e-scooters, these devices are not currently legal to operate in road right-of-way unless municipalities opt-in to a new provincial pilot program (Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project Regulation 2024).
“The Province has yet to release additional details on how municipalities can join the updated pilot program. Once additional information is received from the Province, staff will seek Council direction on initiating an e-scooters pilot project in the future.”
Currently, Surrey isn’t among the 15 cities included in B.C.’s pilot for electric kick scooters.
Bird, advertised as “the leading Canadian micro-mobility provider,” is hosting a “soft launch demo” of e-bikes at Central City Shopping Centre on Thursday morning.
“Head to work, run a few errands, or just go for a weekend ride,” the company website says. “With the Bird Canada App, get from point A to B safely and with style. Our mission is to make cities more livable by reducing car usage and lowering carbon emissions.”
The new program in Surrey is noted in a Bird news release Monday, April 22, with other launches in Mississauga, Lethbridge and Cranbrook for Earth Day 2024. The company now operates in five provinces, including Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, in 26 cities.