JACKSON, Wyo. — Bike-sharing and car-sharing programs were discussed during the Town Council meeting on Oct. 17, with the four-person council deciding to continue the discussion to a later meeting with County Commissioners.
Regional Transportation Planning Administrator Charlotte Frei presented information to the Council, asking for their permission to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for bike-sharing and car-sharing operators.
In the draft RFP, Frei requested that operators launch the bike-sharing program by June 2024 and the car-sharing program in April 2025. She said she envisioned one operator, or operators to team up to provide both services, as a way to streamline the programs.
Jackson had a bike-sharing program operated by START, which ran from the summer of 2018 until the summer of 2022. In May, the Council voted unanimously, by direction of START Director Bruce Abel, to discontinue the program due to the bikes being outdated and the app they operated on being discontinued. According to Frei, over the course of five seasons, about 3,000 trips per summer were taken.
Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson and Councilmember Arne Jorgensen were supportive of issuing an RFP for one or both of the programs, noting that the town is in no way required to accept a proposal.
Councilmember Jonathan Schechter was apprehensive about both programs. “I’m not opposed to it conceptually,” he said. “I don’t feel like I have these answers to the questions of what is success? How will we know? What are we trying to accomplish? What else could we be spending money on?’
“Each time we say yes, it becomes harder to say no,” he said.
Jorgensen pointed out that with these new services, the town would have to come up with a funding source.
Katherine Dowson, Friends of Pathways executive director, spoke during public comment and equated bike shares to other public transportation options like sidewalks and buses. She pointed out that these modes of transportation do not make money, but are necessary for communities.
“Do you make money on your public transportation programs in general or how much intrinsic value is there in the system that you are willing to pay to kind of subsidize it?” Dowson asked rhetorically.
“I think there is value in a bike share program,” Dowson said.
Councilmember Jim Rooks said he was not interested in a car-sharing program and was unwilling to move forward with releasing a bike-share RFP if START was not involved.
“I do not think that we are in a financial position or an organizational position to go it alone on bike sharing and car sharing,” Rooks said.
Town Manager Tyler Sinclair weighed in on the topic during the meeting. He said it’s being presented to the town only, and the County and START have not weighed in yet.
Several questions were relayed to staff members to answer when the item appears on a future agenda. A specific date for when the discussion will be resumed has not been set.
Councilmember Jessica Sell Chambers was absent from the meeting.
