Surrey expands its e-bike program into Newton and proposes reducing underused bike parking requirements in new developments to better match real-world demand.
SURREY, B.C. — Surrey is pedaling forward with greener transportation options, as city council voted this week to expand its electric bike-sharing program into Newton and backed a proposal to overhaul underused bike parking requirements in new developments.
At a council meeting on April 28, Surrey approved extending its e-bike pilot — currently operating in North Surrey — into Newton for the second year of the program. The project, run at no cost to the city under a contract with Bird Canada, has already logged over 14,000 rides since launching last April.
Bird Canada operates a fleet of 200 e-bikes, available through a mobile app. The bikes can only be picked up or dropped off at designated parking spots along city rights-of-way, with per-minute rental fees and discounted rates for frequent users. The company adjusts the number of bikes monthly to reflect ridership demand.
“Expanding to Newton allows us to improve access to SkyTrain, parks, and shopping centres,” said Scott Neuman, Surrey’s general manager of engineering. “The first year has shown strong community uptake.”
Scooters Spark Debate
Councillor Doug Elford raised the issue of adding e-scooters, noting lobbying efforts from the public. However, Neuman cautioned that scooters face additional legal hurdles — including age limits (16+), mandatory helmets, and a maximum speed limit of 25 km/h — making them more difficult to regulate safely.
Mayor Brenda Locke voiced concern about accidents involving e-scooters. “I see them going really fast, way beyond 25 kilometres an hour,” she said, prompting Neuman to commit to gathering and reporting accident data to council.
Rethinking Bike Parking Rules
Council also backed a second report from Neuman and Ron Gill, general manager of planning and development, proposing changes to off-street bicycle parking requirements in residential buildings.
A March survey of 13 multi-family tower sites in Surrey’s city centre — comprising 5,579 dwellings — revealed that actual bike usage falls far below city mandates. Despite current zoning bylaws requiring 1.2 bicycle parking spaces per unit, the average utilization rate was just 0.1, with the highest site hitting only 0.27.
“We’re seeing storage rooms meant for bikes sitting mostly empty,” Neuman explained. “That space could be better used for other needs like vehicle parking or resident storage.”
City staff now recommend amending the bylaw to require a more realistic minimum of 0.4 spaces per unit, in line with actual usage patterns and evolving resident demands. A public hearing on the proposed changes is scheduled for Monday, May 12.
Councillor Pardeep Kooner welcomed the move, calling the current disparity between bike use and required infrastructure “kind of shocking.”
When asked about costs, Neuman estimated that one underground vehicle parking stall could run $70,000–$75,000, while a comparable space for several bikes might cost $17,000–$20,000.
