The ValleyBike Share program will get rolling again Monday afternoon after a hiatus lasting more than a year.
The program, which provides electric-assist bicycles for rent in several western Massachusetts communities, did not operate last year, as the previous vendor went bankrupt.
With a new company selected, local officials had hoped to have ValleyBike Share return this spring.
Stephanie Ciccarello, the sustainability director in Amherst, said the new vendor, Drop Mobility, had a lot of work to do evaluating existing equipment, adding to the delay.
"They were extremely thorough in looking at every single bike and every single docking station equipment that each of the communities had," she said. "It was a lot for them to inventory and it did take time."
Ciccarello said once ValleyBike Share gets going again, the hope is to expand the program to other interested communities. Right now, eight cities and towns and UMass Amherst participate. The communities include Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, West Springfield and Westfield.
Ciccarello said she’s heard from many residents wanting to know when ValleyBike Share would return. She said the program provides a vital cog to the area’s transportation offerings.
“It’s an alternative for people who want to do short trips, but don’t have the means to have access to a vehicle, or the bus system route schedule doesn’t coincide with their needs,” she said. “This is something that provides transportation, that’s accessible to people, that’s equitable, that’s fairly priced.”
A kickoff is scheduled for Monday at Northampton’s Pulaski Park.
