Key West city leaders say no to bike-sharing proposal

Key West City Commissioners in a 4-1 vote this week said no way to a proposal to add a bike-sharing service to the island, which city staff said would be aimed at locals.

But cheap hourly rentals would likely compete with the bike rental companies already in business, said Mayor Craig Cates.

“It's too large, I don't believe it's accomplishing what I thought,” Cates said, during Tuesday’s commission meeting at City Hall.

One local business owner agreed, adding he is not against bike-sharing altogether.

“I welcome it on an even playing field and I don’t feel that’s what’s going on here,” said Evan Haskell, who owns WeCycle bike sales and rentals. “Forty points of sale across the island. The corporation would be directly targeting my market.”

Chris Hamilton, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, said the point was to have a self-sustaining bike-sharing system that would only cost the city some 30 or 40 spots of right-of-way or sidewalk.

Hamilton said bike-sharing would help the local bike industry by encouraging more bike use.

But except for City Commissioner Sam Kaufman, the commission voted against the proposal for Zagster to partner with the city. Commissioners Jimmy Weekley and Clayton Lopez were absent.

“All seven of us are hypocrites because none of us ride our bikes anywhere,” said City Commissioner Billy Wardlow before the vote.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Key West city leaders say no to bike-sharing proposal."