NORTHAMPTON — The Pioneer Valley’s regional bike-sharing program, ValleyBike Share, will remain open through winter with a reduced number of operational bikes and stations.
Shannon Bliven, who runs marketing and community outreach at ValleyBike, said last year was the first time the business experimented with keeping its bikes operational all winter.
“We did a test last year. We actually did really well,” she said.
There will be a reduced number of bikes available to riders than during the summer months, as Bliven said the goal is to have four operational bikes per station.
Some stations, including the ones on Jackson Street, State Street, and the Mass Rail Trail in Northampton, will be “hibernating” until spring, with the possibility of more stations joining that list as the season progresses.
The public will be notified on ValleyBike’s social media and website when extreme weather conditions will force bike use to temporarily shut down.
To unlock bikes for use, riders can use the official ValleyBike mobile app for iOS and Android or a fob available with membership and registration which can be found at www.valleybike.org or on the app.