E-Bike Network Proposed for Banff to Solve Visitor Traffic Pressure

A new e-bike rental company is aiming to launch in Banff this spring, pitching a privately funded fleet as a way to reduce traffic congestion and offer visitors another way to get around town.

The proposal, presented to Banff council’s Governance and Finance Committee on Feb. 10, comes from entrepreneurs James Steele and Daniel Borden, who operate the platform ReeBike.ca. Their plan would see a fleet of roughly 100 e-bikes rented through local hotels and businesses, with the first bikes potentially arriving in time for the May long weekend.

“May 1 is our self-imposed deadline,” Steele said in an interview with Bow Valley Insider. “We don’t want to miss the May long weekend for sure.”

The idea is built around a simple premise: Banff’s growing visitor numbers are putting increasing pressure on the town’s roads and parking system.

“In the peak hours of the day, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. this summer, you’re probably expecting around 2,000 visitor cars per hour,” Steele said. “And we have to figure out how to address that.”

Steele and Borden argue that a structured e-bike rental network could help shift some short trips away from cars.

Unlike many urban bike-share systems, the proposed model would not allow bikes to be left randomly throughout town. Instead, riders would pick up and return the bikes at approved host locations, such as hotels or bike shops.

“We’re not doing the micro-mobility model like Lime or Bird,” Steele said. “The bikes are picked up from authorized locations and returned to the same location.”

The approach, he said, is designed to avoid the clutter and operational challenges associated with dockless bike systems, while still providing visitors with a flexible transportation option.

A fleet funded by investors

One unusual aspect of the proposal is how the bikes would be paid for.

Rather than relying on a single company to purchase the fleet, Steele is raising funds through a joint venture structure that allows private investors to buy into the project.

Each investor purchases what Steele calls a “royalty unit,” which represents one bike within the shared fleet. If the company reaches its target of 100 units, that would generate about $200,000 in startup capital to purchase the bikes and related equipment.

“We want to buy a hundred bikes,” Steele said. “Once we have those subscribed, we order the bikes and we get them shipped to Banff.”

Investors would receive a share of the revenue generated by the fleet’s rentals, rather than owning individual bikes themselves. Steele described the model as similar to crowdfunding, but structured as a joint venture.

At the time of the interview, he said roughly 15 to 20 units had already been informally spoken for, though the fundraising process is still underway.

The company plans to host online investor briefings in the coming weeks as it attempts to secure the remaining commitments.

Hotel partnerships being explored

The proposed system would rely on partnerships with local businesses to store and manage the bikes.

Steele said several hotels have expressed interest in acting as host locations, where the bikes would be stored, charged and handed out to customers.

One potential partner is Brewster Mountain Lodge, which has provided a letter expressing interest in exploring the idea.

“BML’s interest is active and non-binding, but we wish to confirm that we are engaged in constructive discussions with ReeBike.ca as they advance their Banff proposal,” wrote Jay White, general manager of Brewster Mountain Lodge, in a Feb. 9 letter to Banff council.

White said the hotel sees potential for the program to enhance guest services while supporting the town’s broader transportation goals.

“We see a partnership with James and Daniel as a unique opportunity to enhance both our guest services as well as the experiences of Banff’s millions of annual tourists,” the letter states.

The hotel could potentially act as a primary pickup location and help coordinate with other hospitality businesses in town.

However, Steele emphasized that agreements with host locations are still being finalized.

“We’re putting together agreements with the various hotels in the area,” he said. “We’ll have a network of maybe five, six, seven hotels that will have some of our inventory.”

Seeking town support

Steele said the company has also been working with town planning staff to ensure the business complies with existing bylaws. Because the bikes would be rented from fixed host locations such as hotels or bike shops, those businesses would need to hold the appropriate business licence and, in some cases, apply for a change-of-use permit.

The proposal also intersects with Banff’s existing e-bike rebate program, which offers residents the lesser of 50% of the purchase price or $500 toward an e-bike.

Next steps

Before any bikes can roll out onto Banff streets, several pieces still need to fall into place.

The company must complete its fundraising round, finalize host partnerships with local businesses, and ensure any required business licensing approvals are in place.

If those steps proceed on schedule, Steele said the first bikes could arrive in Banff sometime this spring.

“Once we’ve got the funding subscribed, we order the bikes,” he said. “Transit time is about six to eight weeks, depending on shipping.”

If the plan comes together, Steele believes a shared fleet of e-bikes could become another tool in Banff’s effort to manage visitor traffic and reduce vehicle congestion in one of Canada’s busiest mountain towns.