Springfield, MA – Deputy Development Officer Tina Quagliato Sullivan, the city’s Community Development team, Local and State Officials, the Indian Orchard Citizens Council and residents, joined for a special Ribbon Cutting Celebration to officially open the new ValleyBike Share Station now located at Myrtle Street Park in Indian Orchard.
The ValleyBike program, Pioneer Valley’s only bikeshare network, which had once paused, is now once again up and running, with brand new e-bikes and dozens of bike stations located throughout the city. Visit the ValleyBike website to learn more and download the app to start riding today: https://valleybike.org/
“We continue to expand on the regional ValleyBike Share Program which serves many neighborhoods, our downtown core and medical district and connects to other cities and towns too,” explained Mayor Sarno. “The bikeshare is a benefit for residents, workers, and visitors, and is good for one’s health and our environment too. Just one more reason why Springfield is a great place to live, work and visit.”
“I commend my Eco Dev team with Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan, Deputy Director Tina Quagliato Sullivan, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission team, and our neighborhood groups like the Indian Orchard Citizens Council for their efforts on this collaborative project,” continued the Mayor. “Congratulations to all of our partners for coming together once again to offer this great regional project and locate a station right here in Indian Orchard.”
There are 100 e-bikes located throughout the city at Springfield’s 19 ValleyBike Stations. The bikes are available for anyone to use by downloading the ValleyBike app.
The Valley Bike program services the Pioneer Valley region and is currently administered by the City of Northampton with a partnership between 8 municipalities and public agencies across the Pioneer Valley, which include Springfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Amherst, Chicopee, Easthampton, South Hadley, West Springfield, UMass Amherst and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC).
Springfield is the first municipality in the program to utilize the brand-new Drop ebikes and stations. The new bikes are lighter, more comfortable, have a longer range, are more durable and have a smoother experience for the rider. The new bikes do not require large charging docks like the older model bikes, as they have swappable batteries, which the local operations team swap out regularly.
Mayor Sarno states, “I tried one out at our Gurdon Bill Bike/Skate Park demonstration down in the Lower Liberty Heights neighborhood, and it was a great not only for short term transportation, but also very affordable and good for our environment too. The pedal assist really gets you going, making for an easy ride.”
Pedal-assist e-bikes ride like any other bicycle. Use the pedals to get moving, and squeeze the brakes on the handlebars to slow or come to a stop. The benefit of an ebike is that as you pedal, a small electric motor adds assistance to boost momentum, making it easier to go long distances or ride up steep climb. The bikes can reach a maximum speed of 16 mph. Find over a dozen ValleyBike e-bike stations throughout the city.
Questions regarding memberships can be directed to support@valleybike.org
Visit the Valley Bike website: https://valleybike.org/
