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Bike-sharing firms slam door on Sault cyclists

City Council is torqued up about local bike-sharing. The private sector isn't, apparently
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The City of Sault Ste. Marie might want to lube and tighten its vision for local bicycle sharing.

City officials recently invited a dozen bike-sharing companies to submit proposals for a six-month bike-sharing trial to start May 1.

But when the deadline for submissions passed at 4 p.m. today, not one firm had responded.

And today's deadline was actually a second effort: an earlier request for proposals with a Dec. 5 deadline met a similarly flat-tired response.

City Council agreed last September to call for proposals after Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services, said the trial could likely be done without expense to taxpayers.  

"Bike-sharing services are viewed as an important new component of the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s active transportation infrastructure," said the request for proposals.

"New infrastructure is essential to the city’s growth, economic development, citizen safety and quality of life. A bike-share system will assist in providing mobility choices for residents and visitors to Sault Ste. Marie."

City officials are wrenching their headsets in search of alternative ways to lure bike-sharing firms to the Sault.


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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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