Kingston committee begins planning study for NYSERDA clean-mobility grant; shared bike system questioned

Brandon, the project manager for the NYSERDA Clean Mobility grant, told the City of Kingston Complete Streets Advisory Committee that consultants have launched a planning study to determine what kind of shared mobility — if any — would be viable in Kingston.

The study will assess multiple models including docked and dockless systems, rebate programs for purchases, and nonprofit or distributed “bike library” approaches, Brandon said. “Part of the planning process is for them to really see what is viable in the city of Kingston,” he said.

Why it matters: the grant-funded study will shape whether the city pursues a shared bike/scooter program that could affect tourism connections, trail access and everyday trips for residents. Committee members stressed the study must show a workable business model before the city commits to operations or capital outlays.

Brandon told the committee the consultants will evaluate ridership density, cost models and maintenance, and test whether a city Kingston’s size and density could sustain a shared system. He said the consultants asked for empirical comparisons with small or low-density systems and for metrics such as rides per bike per day and fleet maintenance costs.

Brandon said he asked consultants to “prove to us that if we did a shared system, that it would be, quote unquote, successful.” The study will include a public survey and outreach; the project team has both English and Spanish versions available and is asking residents to respond.

Committee members raised concerns that shared systems tend to succeed in denser cities or those with college populations. “I’m not convinced that a city our size without a college can really support that,” one member said. Ezra, an advisory committee member, thanked Brandon for the work and urged broad outreach to measure local appetite.

Brandon and other committee members discussed alternative approaches if a traditional for-profit dockless system is not viable: a nonprofit-run fleet, distributed partnerships with local bike shops, or a rebate-to-purchase model similar to programs in other cities. “Maybe there’s a lite version,” Brandon said, describing possible models where local shops or nonprofits operate small fleets.

The consultant team will also prepare cost-benefit and feasibility modeling, using conservative assumptions and industry benchmarks. Brandon said the team is modeling administrative costs, theft and vandalism rates, replacement cycles and the number of bikes needed to meet a target rides-per-day metric.

The committee asked members to help distribute the online survey and said the project team will consider pop-up outreach at local events, bike shops and transit hubs. “Please go take the survey,” Brandon said during the meeting; committee members volunteered to post flyers and support tabling.

Ending: The planning study is ongoing; the committee will discuss consultant findings and any formal recommendations at a future meeting. The survey and outreach remain open for resident input.