Valley Bike Announces Technology Upgrades to Bike Share Program

Source: UMass News and Media

New electric bike technology is coming to the UMass Amherst campus and the Town of Amherst as ValleyBike Share, in collaboration with Drop Mobility, is upgrading to a new generation of bikes and docking stations. The transition is being phased in across the Pioneer Valley service area, with locations in Amherst and on the UMass campus set to see new bikes and stations installed between Sept. 12-19.

The ValleyBike Share system features approximately 400 existing bikes and 75 Drop e-bikes stationed in 10 communities throughout the Pioneer Valley, including five stations at UMass and eight in Amherst. The system is dock-to-dock, meaning each bike trip must start and end at a ValleyBike docking station.

The new generation of bikes will no longer be charged while docked at stations, or “hubs,” and the new hubs will resemble more traditional bike racks that do not have any electrical connection. Drop Mobility is responsible for charging and balancing all of the bikes within the system.

To end a trip, users must now use the Trip Screen in the ValleyBike app to find a nearby hub and thenns follow the instructions to take a photo of the rear of the bike showing the tether wrapped around the rack and inserted in the closed wheel lock.

To learn more about the new bikes, download the ValleyBike mobile app and follow @valleybikeshare on Instagram to stay informed on the system’s expansion and features.

More information can also be found at valleybike.org.