Title
Recommendation to Endorse the Program Concept for a Three-Year Bike Share Pilot in West Alameda and Authorize the Interim City Manager, or Designee, to Execute All Necessary Agreements to Accept Funding from Alameda County Transportation Commission and Execute a Three-Year Agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Lyft to Begin Participation in the Regional Bay Wheels Program.
This project is exempt under Public Resources Code Section 21080.25. (Planning, Building, and Transportation 24462742)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Adam W. Politzer, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) staff is planning to recommend funding for the City of Alameda (City) to introduce a bike share pilot program on the West End of Alameda as part of the Transportation Management Plan (TMP) for the Oakland Alameda Access Project (OAAP). The primary goal of the bike share pilot is to provide first- and last-mile transportation options across the Oakland Estuary between the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle and San Franscisco Bay Ferry to destinations in West Alameda during OAAP construction in the Posey Tube. The three-year pilot program (2027-2029) would also support Alameda’s participation in the regional Bay Wheels bike share system, starting with eight bike share docking stations and 53 e-bikes in West Alameda. Based on this pilot, the City can explore options to expand bike share citywide in future years.
Staff recommends that City Council endorse the program concept for a three-year bike share pilot in West Alameda and authorize the Interim City Manager or Designee to execute all necessary agreements to accept funding from Alameda CTC and execute a three-year agreement with Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Lyft similar to the terms of the Daly City agreement (Exhibit 2) to begin participation in the regional Bay Wheels program.
BACKGROUND
Oakland Alameda Access Project
Led by Alameda CTC and Caltrans, OAAP is a $152 million regional project to improve connectivity between I-880, I-980, and the cities of Oakland and Alameda. OAAP will improve freeway access for Alamedans and increase health, safety and equity for people in Oakland Chinatown and parts of Downtown. OAAP will construct a new, dedicated on-ramp (the “horseshoe”) to connect the Posey Tube to I-880, improving pedestrian safety and reducing freeway-bound traffic on local roads in these equity priority Oakland communities.
OAAP construction includes weeknight full closures in the Webster Tube, Sunday through Thursday from 10:00pm to 5:00am (begun in April 2026), followed by limited weekend full closures and an extended single lane closure in the Posey Tube (starting in early 2027). West Alameda is expected to be most affected by these construction closures. The City has been working with Alameda CTC, Caltrans, the local business community, and residents to communicate construction and project information. City staff has also been working closely with Alameda CTC and Caltrans to develop and refine their Transportation Management Plan (TMP) for the project. The TMP includes plans for traffic detours, public information, and transportation alternatives to driving such as transit, bicycling, and walking.
During the development of the TMP, Alameda CTC committed $931,000 to operate expanded service of the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle during construction in the Tubes for 19 months, starting in March 2026. The Water Shuttle provides direct access between Jack London Square in Oakland and Bohol Circle Immigrant Park in Alameda. To increase the potential for the Water Shuttle to serve as a transportation alternative for destinations on the West End such as Alameda Point businesses, the Webster Street business district, offices at Marina Village, and to the College of Alameda, the City began exploring the possibility of additional TMP funding to pilot a bike share program for the West End.
About Bike Share and Micromobility
Bike share is part of a broader industry commonly referred to as “micromobility” which can include pedal and e-bikes, e-scooters, or seated e-scooters. Micromobility systems are typically docked, dockless, or hybrid. Docked systems require that users start and end their trips at specific dock locations which have parking equipment specific to the system. Dockless systems require that users lock the bike or scooter to a bike rack or pole within geo-fenced service areas.
History of Bike Share in Alameda
Implementation of bike share in Alameda is an adopted action in the City’s Active Transportation Plan, General Plan, and Transportation Choices Plan. The City previously implemented a dockless bike share pilot program provided by the company Lime. The program ran from October 2017 to March 2019, when Lime stopped operating pedal bike share systems nationwide. While competing staff priorities in the City Strategic Plan made it difficult to actively seek bike share in the intervening years, staff has now identified this opportunity to bring bike share back to support transportation during OAAP construction. This can act as a pilot for a future citywide service as called for in the Active Transportation Plan.
Bay Wheels Regional System
Bay Wheels is the regional docked bike share system for the Bay Area. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) manages the regional agreement with Lyft to operate the Bay Wheels system, which is currently active in neighboring Oakland, as well as Berkeley, Daly City, Emeryville, San Jose, and San Francisco. This agreement gives exclusive operating rights for docked bike share to Lyft in the cities where it operates,
with dockless bike share excluded in some, but not all, participating cities. In no case does it require exclusivity for scooter programs, including sit-on scooters.
MTC has made substantial investments in the dock and bicycle infrastructure of the Bay Wheels system and is currently planning a five-year extension to the agreement with Lyft to continue benefiting from this regional investment and provide continuity in the regional system. More information about Bay Wheels is shown in Exhibit 1. A sample local agency agreement between MTC and Daly City, used to join the regional Bay Wheels system, is provided in Exhibit 2.
DISCUSSION
At its May meetings, Alameda CTC staff is planning to recommend a $757,000 grant, plus $300,000 in local (Alameda) matching funds, for a total of $1.057 million in funding to implement a three-year Bay Wheels bike share pilot program in Alameda as part of the OAAP TMP. This funding would support three years of operations (2027 through 2029) and include capital costs for the docking stations and bikes, contractor/consultant support for station selection and permitting, and ongoing project management. City staff identified Base Reuse and Economic Development (BRED) budget for the matching funds as support for Alameda Point transportation management.
Staff explored bike share system alternatives to the regional Bay Wheels system and determined that joining this program provides the only regionally connected, reliable, and immediate opportunity to implement bike share during OAAP construction. Staff recommends agreement terms modeled on Daly City’s agreement (Exhibit 2), as the most recently added city to the Bay Wheels system. Some terms in the agreement may be negotiable, including exclusivity for dockless e-bike share.
Further information on potential alternative or future dockless micromobility programs is provided below.
Staffing and Partnerships
Implementing a Bay Wheels bike share pilot in Alameda would be a multi-agency partnership, including:
• Alameda CTC - OAAP TMP development, implementation, and funding
• MTC - Staff input and technical assistance as Alameda joins the larger regional program; holder of master agreement with Lyft and future agreement with Alameda
• Alameda Transportation Management Association (Alameda TMA) - Coordination with businesses and residents to promote the program and solicit community input.
• Planning, Building, and Transportation - Lead planning, funding management, and project management.
• Public Works - Process permit applications for station installation and coordinate on station siting, design, and maintenance.
• Base Reuse and Economic Development - Coordination with businesses on program design and feedback, and provide matching funds
Pilot Program Structure
The pilot program funded through the TMP would expand the regional bike share program, Bay Wheels, into Alameda for three years of OAAP construction. Eight stations, with 8-12 docks each, would be installed in west Alameda and would be served by 53 e-bikes. Stations would be sited to serve ferry terminals, the Water Shuttle, bus transit, commercial areas, higher density residential areas, and the College of Alameda. The eight docking station locations will be selected after community engagement and with expert input from MTC and Bay Wheels. Stations would support mode shift during the Posey Tube closures by connecting people to/from transit that crosses the Estuary (by ferry, water shuttle and bus), and by connecting them to educational and business hubs.
Community engagement with residents and businesses in the coming months will confirm the final locations and refine their specific placement. Docking stations can be placed in the roadway in place of curbside parking or in off-street locations like plazas, wide sidewalks, or adjacent to bike paths. Exhibit 1 shows sample docking stations installed in Berkeley and Oakland.
Bay Wheels is currently the only bike share program in Oakland, and it is the only bike share program with connectivity across the region, including access through the Clipper Card program. While staff expects most trips to take place within Alameda, the system is fully interoperable with the regional system and Bay Wheels bikes can be ridden and docked anywhere in the system, including across Alameda’s bridges or on the Water Shuttle to Oakland. Riders also have the option to use their Bay Wheels membership to ride bike share on both sides of their commute, even if they don’t bring the same bike across the water. The East Bay service area for Bay Wheels as of April 2026 is shown in Exhibit 1.
Based on input from MTC staff, the pilot program will begin with all e-bikes in Alameda. The regional Bay Wheels program usage data shows significantly higher ridership on e-bikes vs standard bikes, with customers willing to pay more for the ease of use.
While the initial pilot is focused on the West End to help provide transportation alternatives to driving in the tubes during OAAP construction, the program will also provide an opportunity for Alameda to test and consider a larger bike share program for the future. If bike share is well received and the City would like to expand, staff can continue to explore opportunities to fund additional stations after the pilot or consider alternative micromobility options, discussed below.
Community Outreach
Staff is working with BRED and the Alameda TMA to develop a community outreach and communications plan. This will include an online survey for residents, employees and visitors to give input on station locations and to learn more about bike share. The Alameda TMA will partner with BRED to conduct outreach to residents and businesses to assist in determining station siting and spread the word about the program.
The bike share pilot will support low-income users through Bay Wheels’ Bike Share for All program. City and Alameda TMA staff will coordinate with the Alameda Housing Authority, the Alameda Food Bank, Alameda Point Collaborative, and other organizations to help ensure community members are aware of, and can sign up for, the low-income membership. Currently, people who qualify for PG&E CARE, Cal Fresh SNAP, or SFMTA Lifeline Pass can purchase a Bike Share for All membership. Staff is working to determine whether the AMP low-income program can serve as a substitute for PG&E CARE to determine eligibility.
Micromobility System Alternatives
Based on an evaluation of alternative micromobility models, staff recommends utilizing Bay Wheels for this pilot program because it is the only bike share connecting to Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley and because it offers the best opportunity to launch a program in time to fulfill the OAAP TMP funding requirement during the Posey Tube closure. In the future, staff recommends considering options to expand micromobility share citywide.
Alternatives that were considered and not recommended for the pilot, but could be evaluated in the future include:
• Dockless Micromobility: Many Bay Area cities have permit programs for dockless micromobility systems, often in addition to Bay Wheels. Micromobility companies apply for permits and pay annual fees to operate. Currently, these companies are only deploying e-scooters in the East Bay and would likely be interested in offering e-scooters (but not bikes) in Alameda. It would be challenging to launch a micromobility permit program in time for OAAP TMP requirements because it would necessitate a thorough community engagement process, given the character of dockless e-scooter and bike share. In the future, this program could be considered in addition to or instead of Bay Wheels.
• City-Led Bike Share Vendor Procurement: In this alternative, Alameda would develop a standalone docked, hybrid, or dockless bike share program by requesting proposals from vendors to operate it through a competitive process. Because the Bay Wheels system is set up through the regional public-private agreement, Bay Wheels would not be an option with a standalone procurement. A different system would not connect to a bike share system in Oakland or San Francisco, precluding access to Fruitvale BART or trips starting in Oakland to end in Alameda. It would also require time and outreach to develop a custom program for Alameda.
Bay Wheels is the recommended option for this OAAP TMP pilot program for the following reasons:
• Connections: Bay Wheels is the only bike share system that is interoperable with Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, San Francisco, and other nearby cities.
• Bicycles: Staff recommend piloting a bicycle-based micromobility program before considering e-scooters due to the community’s comfort and familiarity with bicycles.
• Timing: The City must meet the OAAP TMP funding requirement by launching by the time the Posey Tube lane closures begin. This can be best achieved by joining this existing, vetted program, with less intensive program design and outreach needs than other options.
Next Steps
To implement the staff recommendation, next steps would include:
• Approval of funding by the Alameda CTC (May 28, 2026)
• Program and funding agreements and community outreach (Summer-Fall 2026)
• Docking station siting and design (Winter 2026-2027)
• Docking station installation and bike share opening (Early 2027)
• Consider alternatives for expanding micromobility Citywide (After 2027)
ALTERNATIVES
• Endorse the program concept for a three-year bike share pilot in West Alameda and authorize staff to execute all necessary agreements to accept funding from Alameda CTC and begin participation in the regional Bay Wheels program (recommended).
• Direct staff to decline participation in Bay Wheels and instead return to City Council with a proposal for a dockless micromobility permit program or separate procurement for a non-Bay Wheels bike share vendor (not recommended and would likely compromise the Alameda CTC grant funding due to timing issues).
• Do not authorize staff to implement any bike share or micromobility program and decline Alameda CTC grant funding (not recommended).
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to the City from the action to endorse the bike share pilot program. However, formal acceptance and allocation of $757,000 of grant revenue after authorization by the Alameda CTC will be subject to future City Council approval. $300,000 of matching funds would come from Fund 29061822 - Alameda Point Professional Services / Base Reuse and Economic Development in the existing budget and would be specifically used to support the components of the program that install bike share at Alameda Point locations.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Alameda General Plan Mobility Element policy ME-17: Promote shared mobility device programs such as bicycle share, car share and electric scooter share programs that reduce the need for an automobile trip.
Active Transportation Plan program recommendation P.10: evaluate current bike share options and establish programs and policies for their operations in Alameda.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is exempt under Public Resources Code Section 21080.25 which provides a statutory exemption for "pedestrian and bicycle facilities," expressly including bike sharing facilities.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The Climate Action and Resiliency Plan Update (2025) found that transportation accounts for 54% of the City’s greenhouse gas emissions, and that moving people out of automobiles is paramount to reducing transportation-related emissions. Bike share provides a sustainable mobility option and helps connect transit with other destinations in Alameda.
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse the Program Concept for a three-year Bike Share Pilot in West Alameda and authorize the Interim City Manager or Designee to execute all necessary agreements to accept funding from Alameda County Transportation Commission and execute a three-year agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Lyft to begin participation in the Regional Bay Wheels Program.
Respectfully submitted,
Abby Thorne-Lyman, Interim Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
By,
Susie Hufstader, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Bay Wheels System Information
2. Sample Bay Wheels Expansion Program Agreement
cc: Scott Wikstrom, City Engineer