DEPARTMENT: Center City Development & Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Jacks
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on a Potential Assignment of San Antonio Bike Share's Operating Agreement
SUMMARY:
Staff will brief the Transportation and Mobility Council Committee on the health of our docked bike share system, the recommendations of the Bike Share Working Group, and a potential assignment of San Antonio Bike Share's agreement with the City to BCycle, the national provider of docked bike share services which provides the equipment and infrastructure on which our system is built.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio owns all BCycle equipment within the system (docks, bikes, and stations), which have been purchased with funding from three sources: Federal Stimulus funding, the Federal Transit Administration Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in the Parks Program, and the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) Transportation Enhancement Expansion. The City maintains a contract for the continuous operation and maintenance of the bike share program with San Antonio Bike Share (SABS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Docked bike share networks have struggled nationally in recent years, in part due to new competition from dockless vehicles. SABS has experienced a significant downturn in both revenue and memberships since 2017, which was SABS's best year from a program performance perspective. In addition, on October 4, 2019, San Antonio Bike Share informed the Center City Development and Operations Department of the early cancellation of its title sponsorship agreement with Southwest General Hospital. The termination of the agreement was effective on December 31, 2019. This loss of a title sponsor, reduced membership, and a reduction in ridership created a significant funding issue within SABS' operating budget. SABS communicated in the fall of 2019 that they needed significant assistance to remain viable, either directly...
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