# Regional Bike-Sharing Network Planning Meeting

**Date:** July 15, 2026  
**Time:** 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET  
**Location:** Regional Transit Authority, Conference Room B / Microsoft Teams  
**Facilitator:** Maya Chen, Director of Mobility Programs  
**Note-taker:** Daniel Ortiz, Project Coordinator

## Attendees

- Maya Chen — Regional Transit Authority, Director of Mobility Programs
- Daniel Ortiz — Regional Transit Authority, Project Coordinator
- Priya Nair — City of Lakeshore, Transportation Planning Manager
- Thomas Greene — City of Westfield, Public Works Director
- Elena Rossi — Borough of Northgate, Sustainability Officer
- Jamal Brooks — Metro Transit, First/Last-Mile Program Lead
- Sofia Alvarez — Regional Tourism Council, Partnerships Manager
- Greg Walsh — CycleLink Operations, General Manager
- Dr. Hannah Lee — State University, Transportation Research Center
- Renee Foster — Access for All Coalition, Policy Director
- Marcus Bell — Downtown Business Alliance, Executive Director

**Regrets:** Colin Wright — County Department of Transportation, Capital Projects Manager

## Agenda

1. Confirm proposed service area and Phase 1 launch locations
2. Review operating model, fleet size, and seasonal service plan
3. Discuss fare structure and integration with regional transit passes
4. Establish accessibility and equity requirements
5. Review funding, sponsorship, and procurement timeline
6. Confirm governance structure, data-sharing expectations, and next steps

## Discussion Notes

### 1. Service Area and Phase 1 Locations

- The proposed Phase 1 network includes Lakeshore, Westfield, Northgate, the university district, and three Metro Transit hubs.
- Members agreed that stations should form connected corridors rather than isolated clusters.
- Initial demand modeling supports approximately 72 stations, but operating funds currently support 60–65.
- Northgate requested that Riverfront Park and the community health centre be included despite lower projected ridership because both serve residents with limited transportation options.
- The Tourism Council recommended seasonal stations near the marina and convention centre. CycleLink advised using relocatable stations at those sites.

### 2. Operating Model and Fleet

- CycleLink presented a mixed fleet of 650 standard bicycles and 250 e-bikes.
- The proposed operating season is March 15 through November 30, with a pilot winter fleet of up to 100 e-bikes near major transit hubs.
- Overnight rebalancing will be supplemented by daytime response crews during peak periods.
- Municipal representatives asked for service-level targets covering bicycle availability, station downtime, snow clearance, and abandoned bicycle response.
- Members supported a single regional operator and customer-service channel.

### 3. Fares and Transit Integration

- Proposed pricing includes single rides, day passes, monthly memberships, and annual memberships.
- Metro Transit confirmed that bike-share accounts can be linked to transit smart cards, but full fare integration will require additional technical work.
- The group supported free transfers between transit and bike share within a limited window, subject to financial modeling.
- An income-qualified membership should cost no more than $5 per month and should not require a credit card.
- Cash enrollment options may be offered through libraries, municipal service counters, and participating retailers.

### 4. Accessibility and Equity

- Access for All requested adaptive cycles at staffed mobility hubs, accessible station layouts, multilingual instructions, and alternatives to smartphone-only access.
- The university research team proposed an equity scorecard using household income, vehicle ownership, transit access, disability, and employment density.
- At least 30% of Phase 1 stations should be located in equity-priority areas.
- Engagement must include residents who do not currently cycle and should address safety, affordability, and identification requirements.
- Staff will assess whether some e-bikes can be configured with step-through frames and additional stability features.

### 5. Funding and Procurement

- Current committed funding totals $7.8 million: $4.5 million in regional capital funds, $2 million in municipal contributions, and $1.3 million from a climate-mobility grant.
- The estimated Phase 1 capital requirement is $9.1 million, leaving a $1.3 million gap.
- Sponsorship revenue may cover part of the gap, but members agreed that public spaces and bicycle branding should not be overly commercialized.
- Procurement must begin by October 2026 to support a May 2027 launch.
- Legal counsel is reviewing whether the operator and equipment procurements can be combined.

### 6. Governance and Data

- Members supported a regional steering committee with one voting representative from each participating municipality, Metro Transit, and the Regional Transit Authority.
- The operator will provide monthly data on ridership, availability, maintenance, collisions, complaints, and membership demographics where legally permissible.
- Public reporting will use aggregated data and will not publish identifiable trip histories.
- Municipalities will retain responsibility for station siting approvals and local right-of-way permits.
- The Regional Transit Authority will manage the operating contract and regional brand.

## Decisions

1. Phase 1 will target **64 stations and 900 bicycles**, including 250 e-bikes.
2. The network will launch as a connected regional system under one brand, operator, mobile application, and customer-service channel.
3. At least **30% of stations** will be located in equity-priority areas.
4. Riverfront Park and the Northgate Community Health Centre will remain in the Phase 1 station plan.
5. Marina and convention-centre locations will use relocatable seasonal stations.
6. The standard operating season will run from March 15 through November 30, with a limited winter e-bike pilot evaluated separately.
7. The fare plan will include a low-income membership priced at no more than $5 per month, with cash and non-smartphone enrollment options.
8. Staff will continue developing transit smart-card linking and a free-transfer proposal for final budget approval.
9. The Regional Transit Authority will lead procurement and contract management.
10. Participating agencies will establish a regional steering committee and adopt common service-level and data-sharing standards.

## Action Items

| Action | Owner | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Revise the Phase 1 station map to reflect 64 stations, equity targets, and approved Northgate locations | Priya Nair and Elena Rossi | July 29, 2026 |
| Prepare fleet deployment and rebalancing assumptions for 650 standard bikes and 250 e-bikes | Greg Walsh | August 5, 2026 |
| Draft service-level standards for availability, maintenance, snow clearance, and incident response | Daniel Ortiz and Greg Walsh | August 12, 2026 |
| Model the cost and ridership impact of transit-to-bike-share free transfers | Jamal Brooks | August 19, 2026 |
| Develop enrollment options for residents without smartphones, credit cards, or permanent addresses | Renee Foster and Maya Chen | August 19, 2026 |
| Produce an equity scorecard and recommended station-evaluation methodology | Dr. Hannah Lee | August 26, 2026 |
| Confirm accessibility requirements for station design and adaptive-cycle hubs | Renee Foster and Elena Rossi | August 26, 2026 |
| Identify sponsorship prospects and draft regional branding guidelines | Sofia Alvarez and Marcus Bell | September 2, 2026 |
| Confirm each municipality’s capital and operating contribution | Municipal representatives | September 9, 2026 |
| Complete procurement-options review and circulate a draft request for proposals | Maya Chen and legal counsel | September 16, 2026 |
| Draft the steering committee terms of reference and data-sharing agreement | Daniel Ortiz | September 16, 2026 |
| Schedule community engagement sessions in all Phase 1 municipalities | Daniel Ortiz | September 23, 2026 |

## Risks and Open Questions

- The $1.3 million capital funding gap remains unresolved.
- Final station placement depends on right-of-way reviews and utility clearance.
- Transit fare integration timing may extend beyond the May 2027 launch.
- Winter operations require additional analysis of battery performance, road conditions, and maintenance costs.
- Insurance and liability requirements for adaptive cycles need legal review.
- The group has not yet agreed on annual operating-cost allocation among participating municipalities.

## Next Meeting

**Date:** September 10, 2026  
**Time:** 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET  
**Primary Topics:** Draft station map, funding commitments, fare model, accessibility requirements, and procurement strategy