Upvalley Shift e-bike share between Vail, EagleVail, Avon and Edwards to return for third summer

The regional e-bike share between Vail, EagleVail, Avon and Edwards is returning in the spring for its third year.

The Shift Bike program allows individuals to rent e-bikes from stations throughout these communities on a pay-as-you-go model.

The program launched in 2022 between Vail, EagleVail and Avon. In the first summer, the three communities had 90 e-bikes across 15 stations. 

The idea was to provide residents and guests with an alternative mobility option, aligning with the county’s climate action goals, specifically, the Eagle County Climate Action Collaborative’s goal to reduce greenhouse emissions. Single-occupancy vehicles account for around 40% of the county’s emissions, so the idea was that providing an alternative mobility option would reduce the number of these vehicle trips in the region.

The first summer saw a total of 7,393 trips for a total of 21,735.4 miles, with the average ride being 2.94 miles for around 30 minutes. Ninety percent of the trips were under 60 minutes long. Reportedly, the program was responsible for the reduction of 8.68 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline — in 2022.

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During its second year, the bike share was stretched further west into Edwards as the metro district and county joined the program. The number of bikes and stations increased to include 155 e-bikes and 33 stations.

Across the system, 10,330 rides were taken in 2023 for a total of 33,600 miles. An average ride was 3.25 miles and lasted just under 23 minutes, according to Beth Markham, the town of Vail’s environmental sustainability manager. An estimated 26,880 pounds of CO2e were reduced, the equivalent of taking 2.7 cars off the road for one year.

There are fewer changes in the third year as the e-bike share returns. The program will operate at the same size as 2023. Vail will have 81 e-bikes across 16 stations, Avon will have 35 e-bikes and nine stations, EagleVail with 14 e-bikes and three stations, and Edwards with 25 e-bikes and five stations.

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While the bikes can be ridden around the region, they must be returned to one of the stations in Avon, EagleVail, Edwards and Vail. The bikes themselves can reach up to 16 miles per hour and have an electric charge that lasts between 30 and 40 miles depending on several factors.

While dependent on weather, the program is anticipated to start in early May and run through the end of October.  

For 2024, Eagle County communities are in the process of approving their contract with Drop Mobility, which serves as the vendor and operator for the bike share.

What it costs

The program cost is split between the communities based on the distribution of the e-bikes and stations. Vail is contributing just over 50% of the cost with a $223,743 contribution; Avon is contributing $96,679, EagleVail $38,672, Eagle County $50,000 and Edwards Metro District $19,056.

These costs go toward the deployment, hardware, software costs, a local maintenance team and operations, an Avon warehouse as well as marketing and outreach for the program.

According to a memo from the town of Vail, the program should be less expensive for the participating municipalities after this year.

“The initial cost of the electric bikes is paid off after three years, which will lower the annual leasing cost to the partner communities as each fleet of bikes hits this mark, reducing the overall cost of the annual contracts moving forward,” read the memo. “Pending annual appropriations, this will be reflected in 2025 for the initial 90 e-bikes deployed in the inaugural year.”

The program will have a new warehouse in Avon to serve as the base for operations of the program, with Drop Mobility also hiring a team to operate and maintain the system from Eagle County. In the past, this was done out of the region. The warehouse will also serve as offseason storage for the bikes.

According to the Vail memo, Drop is working to “secure an electric van to use for day-to-day operations including rebalancing of bikes, battery swaps and maintenance.”

“The addition of these e-vehicles will further increase the impact of the program by reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to program operations and helping make progress toward the adopted Climate Action Plan for the Eagle County Community goals to reduce GHG emissions 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050,” Markham said.

The pricing structure is expected to remain the same as in 2023, but “will also be evaluated and revised as needed to reflect community needs,” the memo reads.

The first ride is free for the first 30 minutes. After that, a pay-as-you-go model is used, with a $3 cost to unlock the bike and $0.40 for every subsequent minute.

Locals-only memberships — for those living, working and owning property in the county — start at $100 for the season or $25 per month and include 60 minutes of daily ride time (with a $0.15 cost per minute after the first hour). An early bird membership rate of $75 for a season membership is expected to be available in early May this year.

The program also offers an “equity membership” for individuals who can demonstrate financial need. This year, it will be expanded to include senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. This membership costs $25 for the entire season and includes 60 minutes of ride time daily (with every minute after costing $0.05).

There is no $3 unlock fee for individuals with memberships.

Using the bike share requires downloading the app, which is available on Apple and Android. From there, individuals can reserve and unlock bikes, purchase memberships and more.  

Part of the communities’ contract with Drop also includes education and marketing — including a helmet giveaway in 2024 and outreach with local bike shops. When the program launched, to address a concern that this would cut into bike rental revenue for local businesses, there was a desire to work with the shops to provide education and information on the differences between bike share and bike rental.

The memo notes the difference is that bike share is more for shorter rides, commuting and errands (replacing a single-occupancy vehicle for a trip) and a bike rental is for longer excursions, including multiple day trips and recreational activities.

According to the memo, Drop is expected to get input from local bike shops on input for 2024 pricing.