The Summit County Council is scheduling a work session soon to look at some challenges and problems that confronted their e-bike sharing program, during its third summer of operation.
Summit County Transportation Manager Caroline Rodriguez supplied a memo to the County Council last week summarizing some of their problems.
Rodriguez said that the bikes have been working better this year. The issues, she said, have concerned maintenance, and the staff of the county’s contractor, Bewegen, have struggled to stay ahead of that task.
“It’s not that these bikes require more maintenance,” Rodriguez explained. “It’s that we didn’t have staff to do the preventative maintenance and routine maintenance. So then there were bikes on the street that could’ve done with some of that maintenance. And then when they were ridden anyway, then things started to go wrong, like wiring failing, or a screen cracking, or just the dashboard is not working and those type of things. And those are things—we don’t like to put the bikes out if they’re not in 100 percent working order. Because, just like a rental car, people are a lot harder on things they don’t actually own and have to pay for”
She said that Bewegen, a Canadian firm, has a good reputation, but it’s been difficult for them to find employees who can afford to live in this area. She said four of the company’s Park City team members have left since May.
“One person left because he didn’t want to travel for business,” Rodriguez continued. “One person left because he got another bike-share job making a lot more money for a municipality. It’s that type of attrition, and it all just happened so suddenly. Bewegen did have a plan for keeping up on that, but then, again, once people realized what the cost of living was here, they really weren’t interested.”
She also admitted she’s had a trust issue with the firm—after checking with them regularly last winter, and then being confronted with the operation’s problems this summer.
“Whether or not things are working—if there are struggles, I need to know, as the contract manager, so I can help to do what I can to get the resources to make it successful,” Rodriguez said. “But if I don’’t know-y’know I’m trusting my contractor to do the job they’re hired to do. So that lack of communication is very concerning.”
She said there have been several factors involved with the e-bike problems, including their docking stations.
“You have to insert the bike pretty firmly into the docking station to get it to charge,” Rodriguez explained. “And so then people have trouble with the front handlebars and keeping those straight. It’s just, like I said, a combination of all of those issues.”
She said ridership was down this summer. She said that could be because the summer weather was late this year—and also, because a number of residents who tried the public e-bikes have decided to buy their own.
Over the past three seasons, the total cost of the program has been just under $1.7 million, with over half of that paid by a federal grant. She said the county is not losing money on the program.
“We don’t cover any of the operations and maintenance costs,” Rodriguez continued. “That’s covered through sponsorship. It’s a contract relationship that Bewegen has in all of their other systems as well. So, we just pay the capital cost of the start-up.
Rodriguez explained costs include stations installed, station components, IT solution, and the actual bikes.
Rodriguez said what they have paid, per mile on an e-bike, is not bad in comparison.
“You think it is,” Rodriguez said. “But then you compare it to the cost of a rural public transit trip, or the cost of a vehicle trip, and it’s actually right there in the ballpark.”
She said that Bewegen’s project manager will visit in October, and the county will talk to her about the program. They’re also talking to a private contractor who could upgrade maintenance.
While the county can take punitive measures under their contract, Rodriguez said she’s not sure that would be effective.
“We have had that ability through the contract, but previously it didn’t seem like that was the most effective strategy,” Rodriguez explained. “Because if the struggle was, we don’t have budget to hire someone at an appropriate wage, then does instituting a fine—does that meet your goals.”
