A little more than 300 people per month used bike racks on St. Albert’s transit buses in July and August, the peak times in the short history of the new feature.
The city spent $75,000 equipping its entire bus fleet with bike racks, which were unveiled May 1. The racks attracted 226 users in June, 355 in July, 314 in August and 185 in September.
“We think we’ve made a good start,” said St. Albert Transit director Bob McDonald. “It’s an option that we feel increases connectivity with other forms of transportation.”
Anecdotal reports from drivers suggest the bulk of bike rack usage happens on buses bound for Edmonton, McDonald said. There have been no issues with usability as the racks allow for easy bike placement and retrieval in less than 30 seconds, he said.
“I think the best promotion is seeing other people use it. I think it’s building,” he said.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he was pleased so far.
“I’m actually fairly happy with the numbers but I don’t know how many different users that represents,” he said.
It’s also unclear whether the bike racks are attracting new users to transit, he said.
Crouse plans to monitor transit revenue and overall usage rates to gauge the impact of the racks.
“We’re missing some information to tell you the whole story,” Crouse said. “The principle of it is still solid but we just don’t have all the story yet what it really means to us.”
This September there were fewer complaints about the number of parking spots available at the Village Tree park and ride, Crouse said. He thinks the availability of the bike racks is a contributing factor.
St. Albert resident Cindy Fraser, 47, used the racks twice last summer on trips into Edmonton.
“They’re very easy to use, quick to get on and get off,” she said.
The racks rely on a simple tension bar to hold bikes in place, a system that Fraser thinks will require maintenance as the units age.
“As the bus is going down the road and it hits the odd bump you’re thinking to yourself ‘oh gosh, I hope my bike is still there,’” she said.
