Shift Bike electric bike share system coming to Vail, Avon, EagleVail this summer

Vail, Avon and EagleVail last week issued the following press release on Drop Mobility being selected as the vendor for a new summer electric bike share system called Shift Bike:

The Town of Vail, Town of Avon, and EagleVail Metro District are announcing publicly today that Drop Mobility has been selected as the vendor to provide e-assist bikes and software for the launch of an electric bike share system rolling out this summer called Shift Bike. The bike share system is designed to help local residents and employees shift their ride – away from car trips and on to electric bikes for short trips and daily commutes.

The Shift Bike system includes a fleet of 90 e-bikes and 20 hub stations through the three communities and launches with a ribbon cutting event at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7. The launch event features elected officials from all three partner communities and will take place at the Vail Public Library station located in the parking lot between the Vail Public Library and Vail Health on Meadow Drive in Vail. Complimentary burritos will be available on a first come, first served basis. The partner communities encourage community members join them in celebrating the launch of this innovative micromobility system on June 7.

“We are thrilled to be partners with Vail and EagleVail in the first Regional e-bikeshare program in the Valley,” says Avon Mayor Sarah Smith Hymes. “Avon operated a local bikeshare program from 2017 to 2019. This regional e-bike share program will expand the accessible area and increase options for our residents and visitors. Our residents and visitors will be able to ride to Vail without hardly breaking a sweat. Additionally, enhancing micromobility transportation is a key strategy to building a sustainable transportation system by closing the gap on First-and-Last mile concerns for transit users.”

Town of Vail Mayor Kim Langmaid added, “Transportation is the leading contributor to greenhouse gasses in Eagle County and the regional Shift Bike share system is a great strategy to reduce transportation related emissions to help achieve climate action goals of reducing emissions 25% by 2025, 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Micromobility solutions such as this e-bike share program are one of many transportation opportunities to increase sustainable mobility options in Vail and our broader Eagle County community, encouraging community members to shift their behavior out of their cars and commuting in a more sustainable manner.”  

“We are very excited to partner with Town of Vail and the Town of Avon to bring this regional bikeshare program to our community,” says Steven Barber, District Manager of EagleVail Metro District. “This will be a great opportunity for locals and visitors to explore a new option for getting around town to shop, attend events, and commute to work.”  

“We believe in enabling communities to build and operate a bike share system that works best for them.” said Dipesh Dar, Co-Founder and COO of Drop Mobility. “By partnering with the Towns of Vail, Avon, and EagleVail, we were able to collaborate on the design of the system to create one that is accessible, reliable, sustainable, and reaches the community it is meant to serve.”

Working together, the towns of Vail, Avon, and EagleVail and Drop Mobility have designed the bike share system, including selecting hub locations with the help and input of the community, and designing pricing to compliment local bike rentals and not directly compete with their rental programs. The Shift Bike website includes education on the difference between the Shift Bike share program, intended for short trips under an hour commuting, running errands and attending social events around and between towns, and bike rental programs. The website includes a list of all bike shops in the three communities with rental programs to make it convenient for those looking for e-bikes for longer excursions and recreational rides.

The pricing structure of Shift Bike encourages short trips and offers monthly and seasonal memberships for locals who live, work or own property in Eagle County and has an equity program for income qualified residents. In addition, for a rider to end a ride and stop associated charges, the Shift Bikes must be returned and properly docked at one of hub locations identified on the Shift Bike app. For more information on pricing and how to shift your ride, visit shift-bike.com.

For more information on the program, contact Beth Markham, Town of Vail environmental sustainability coordinator, at 970-479-2333 or bmarkham@vailgov.com, Jim Shoun, Town of Avon at jshoun@avon.org, Steven Barber EagleVail Metro District Manager at sbarber@eaglevail.org.

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