Several large cities and municipalities have e-bike rideshare programs, most notably, Citi Bike, known for their blue bikes. These bikes serve as an alternative means of transportation for commuters or visitors who may need to get around. Could that same program be brought to the Hudson Valley?

During the course of the Newburgh Transportation Advisory committee Zoom meeting, Bewegen Bike Share presented to the committee an informational session about the company, bikes and technology. The manufacturing and production of their bikes and charging stations in Canada. “Everything is really made in Quebec,” said Bewegen representative, Martijn Kentie. “Bewegen, which is a Dutch company, came to Newburgh during Newburgh Open Studios,” Transportation Advisory Committee co-chair Naomi Hersson-Ringskog said.

Hersson-Ringskog said that during the studio sessions, residents were able to try out the e-bike systems in a safe environment. Several residents provided positive feedback on bringing this type of system to the City of Newburgh. “People had a wonderful time,” Hersson-Ringskog said.

Bewegen, also partners with Rocky Mountain Bicycles in manufacturing with materials and design being used in the creation of the Bewegen Rideshare bikes so as to create a more “robust” bike with their year round exposure, Kentie said. The charging stations that Bewegen produces also creates a more efficient and straightforward process for traveling.

“As soon as you dock a bike into a station, the bike will recharge itself,” Kentie said. Engines are also created and adapted to the e-bike speed laws of the area Kentie said. Speed, battery life, and distance used for pricing are available on a built in screen on the bike Kentie said. Other utilities for the bikes are integrated into the programming and software such as the tracking of maintenance and bike locations Kentie said.

Bewegen is not set in stone as the rideshare program for the City of Newburgh. This was only a presentation according to Hersson-Ringskog.

Learning more about the technology and services that e-bike rideshare programs offer will help in the committee’s planning going forward, offering more convenience to commuters and residents of Newburgh. “Close to 30% of Newburghers do not have access to a car, it costs close to $9,000 to own a car and I believe it’s like 60% of the population has one car or less,” Hersson-Ringskog said.

The committee also announced work on the current pedestrian curfew for the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. “The Newburgh Transportation Committee has been advocating for lifting the curfew or ending the curfew on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge,” Hersson-Ringskog said. “It’s looking positive. It’s going through the bureaucratic process right now.”

The other co-chair of the committee, Gabe Berlin, is happy to update and thank the board and supporters for working on this initiative for the past several years. Back on Nov. 4, The City of Newburgh announced on their site that stop signs at several intersections will and are now four-way stops. Those intersections are First Street and Liberty Street, Renwick Street and South Lander Street, and Dupont Avenue and Thompson Street.

Hersson-Ringskog also took the opportunity to recognize the Greenway Grant that was submitted the previous Monday. This is a $10,000 grant where a professional engineering study will be conducted for bike lines to connect the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to downtown Newburgh.

Berlin discussed a new traveling service that Orange County Planning, also known as Transit Orange, is rolling out to the public. This service allows travelers, using public transportation, to plan trips around Orange County, including the City of Newburgh. Orange County Planning is also working with a New York 511 Ride Share Matching Tool, according to Berlin. This tool helps customers/commuters find potential carpool partners. Once customers enter their destinations, you are brought to a matches page, to which you can contact them and ride share.

Berlin encourages all community members to take part in their meeting. The committee meets every second Wednesday of every month, all on Zoom at 6 p.m.