Shaw hopes to establish free Wi-Fi access across Vancouver’s bike-sharing zone in new partnership with Mobi

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      Vancouver’s Mobi bike-share program has been rebranded as Mobi by Shaw Go.

      The name-change comes after an announcement made this morning (December 6), which reveals that Mobi—which launched this past summer—has entered a multi-year partnership with Shaw Communications Inc.

      The move is common among civic bike-sharing services across the world, many of which have teamed up with corporate sponsors to ensure their programs’ sustainability.  

      “We welcome this major commitment from Shaw Communications that will help ensure the long-term success of bike share in our city,” said Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson in a press release. “Half the trips in Vancouver are now made by walking, biking and transit and Mobi has quickly become a popular transportation choice for Vancouverites, with over 100,000 rides to date.”

      Under this new partnership, Shaw Communications will pursue opportunities to establish a public Wi-Fi network across Mobi’s designated cycling zone, which covers the Downtown Peninsula and is bounded by Arbutus Street, 16th Avenue, and Main Street.

      The network would offer complimentary internet access to Vancouverites and visitors in this area—particularly those employing the Mobi – Vancouver Bike Share app or mobibikes.ca to rent and track down available bicycles.

      The City of Vancouver notes that Mobi bikes, stations, and other system tools will be rebranded over the next few weeks to reflect the program’s new partnership.

      Costs for the bike-share program will remain the same with one-year plans beginning at $129, monthly passes beginning at $15, and day passes beginning $7.50.

      Follow Lucy Lau on Twitter @lucylau.

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