
Valet bike parking at Riverside Park in Kamloops. (Photo via Kamloops Cycling Coalition)
Kamloops city staff will be looking into the feasibility of setting up an expanded bike valet pilot program this summer.
Climate and Sustainability Manager Glen Cheetham says the idea is to try and formalize the pop-up bike valets seen at community events like Ribfest, Canada Day, the 2023 Memorial Cup, and the Farmers Market into something that runs through the work week.
“A bike valet for those who aren’t familiar with the concept is very much like a coat check,” Cheetham said on NL Newsday.
“It is really intended to provide that longer term parking solution for folks that might otherwise not be inclined to ride their bikes because of concern for the security of their bike.”
In a report to the City’s Livability and Sustainability Select Committee, Cheetham said nearly 1,000 bike owners in Kamloops used the pop-up valet service over a four-month period last summer.
“The intent is to target the communing crowd, so we’ll be looking at week day, something like 7 to 7, or possibly as well Saturdays,” Cheetham added. “If we garner the support that we’re anticipating, then we can come back to council pretty quick with a pitch to pilot this in 2024.”
Cheetham says if approved by council at a location still to be determined, the expanded four month bike valet program from May to August could cost $50,000, assuming it is run for 12 hours a day Monday to Friday, with two people on shift at a time.
That money, Cheetham said, is likely going to come from the City’s Climate Action Fund, which had an estimated balance of $1,288,718 as of Dec. 31, 2023.
“The Climate Action Fund Reserve consists of revenue generated by the Local Government Climate Action Program, which provides local governments with funding to support the implementation of local climate action that reduces emissions and prepares communities for the impacts of a changing climate,” Cheetham said in his report.
“In 2023, the City received $325,000 from the Local Government Climate Action Program.”
Cheetham did note that the pilot will likely also gauge if there is appetite for a nominal user fee, much like a coat check at a nightclub.
“It is going to be a good question because certainly the intent with this pilot is to ultimately find a permanent model that could be sustained over time and so that may well be come into the discussions around the user fee,” he said.
Cheetham expects to return to City Council with recommendations on March 12. If approved, he expects the pilot could launch on May 1.