Imagine a city where you can get where you need to go, and get there on time, using a wider mix of transportation services. In many cities around the world, bike share is an important part of that mix, but it is one that is missing today in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. That’s why EnviroCentre and the Ottawa Climate Action Fund wanted to restart the conversation about bike share in the region.
Successful bike share systems are a great example of the multi-solving approach at the heart of OCAF’s investment and partnership strategy. And of course, that includes direct and indirect reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
People we spoke to across Ottawa-Gatineau envisioned bike share as an essential part of an affordable, equitable, 24/7 transportation system that connects easily to existing transit and car sharing services, giving a diversity of neighbourhoods better access to everyday services. They saw a bike share system as an essential part of the winning formula to deliver on Ottawa-Gatineau’s commitments to affordable housing and increased density. They framed bike share as a public service and an extension of transit that should be seen as an investment and public good.
All of these advantages make bike share a key tool in the toolbox for neighbourhood intensification efforts that could help Ottawans depends less heavily on their personal vehicles.
This report presents an updated understanding of the key considerations, success factors, and rationale for a renewed local bike share system in Ottawa-Gatineau, as well as the key elements to be considered and further explored.
