The resurrected ValleyBike sets a new launch date to bring bike sharing back to Greater Springfield and Northampton

ValleyBike, the regional bike-sharing system operating from the UMass Amherst campus to the city of Springfield, has set a new start date of August 12 for its reopening after a year-long hiatus.

ValleyBike, a municipal bike-sharing system, has been out of service for more than a year after the private company that ran its day-to-day operations went bankrupt.

The City of Northampton is planning a dedication ceremony for the rebooted system on Monday, August 12, 2024 at 12:00 noon at Pulaski Park in downtown Northampton.

“We are so excited to bring back this popular micromobility program that has been so important in serving the transportation needs of our residents,” Mayor Sciarra shared in a press release last week. “I warmly invite all ValleyBike communities and residents to join us in celebrating this launch at noon at Pulaski Park on August 12th, right here in downtown Northampton.”

New operator adds 50 extra bikes to fleet

Drop Mobility plans to relaunch the ValleyBike.org website on August 1, with information on pricing, memberships and pre-sale offers.

The revamped system includes the 300 shared electric bicycles with pedal assistance that were previously in the system, plus 50 new e-bikes from Drop Mobility.

Expect these bikes to return to ValleyBike stations the weekend of August 10th, with the system going live immediately following the opening ceremony on Monday, August 12th.

After issuing a call for proposals earlier this spring, Northampton officials announced in May that they had signed a contract with a new operator, Drop Mobility, a Toronto-based company that also operates bike-sharing systems in New Orleans, Tulsa and Albany, among other cities.

At the time, Northampton city officials announced that service would resume in June.