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People can take advantage of the Richmond Discovery Shuttle and a bike valet service in Steveston Village through Sept. 5.

Photo courtesy City of Richmond

Discover Richmond with car-free transportation options

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:19 PDT, Thu July 7, 2022

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This summer, people can enjoy two new car-free options to get around Richmond and enjoy all the city has to offer: the Richmond Discovery Shuttle and a bike valet service in Steveston Village. These services are free to use.

“These two new summertime transportation programs are designed to make it enjoyable, easy, and sustainable for both residents and visitors to explore Richmond,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Riding the free shuttle offers a low emissions alternative to driving, while stopping at some of Richmond’s most popular locations. And the free bike valet offers those cycling around, and to, Steveston, a convenient, secure, and free option while they enjoy the village.”

According to Nancy Small, chief executive officer of Tourism Richmond, cycling has become even more popular through the pandemic—especially during the summer—so demand for the valet service is expected to be high.

“The bike valet and the shuttle are both great ways for people to get out and see what Richmond has to offer. We know that the more activities a tourist does in our city, the more they love Richmond,” said Small.

Richmond Discovery Shuttle

The free Richmond Discovery Shuttle launched on June 25. It operates from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays until Sept. 5.

The shuttle stops at Lansdowne Station, Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond Olympic Oval, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, and Britannia Shipyards. There are seven round trips a day along the route.

The Discovery Shuttle is made possible by a partnership between Tourism Richmond, the City of Richmond, and the Richmond Hotel Association. It is operated by Universal Coach Lines, a Richmond-based company. The shuttle first ran as a pilot project in the summer of 2019 with ridership of over 2,000, demonstrating the demand for a transportation service connecting key points of the city, such as the Canada Line and Steveston Village.

Bike valet in Steveston

If you prefer to get around via pedal power, Richmond has a new free service to make this easier. When cycling to Steveston Village, people can safely store bikes while they eat, shop, and explore the parks, pier, boardwalk, and historic sights.

Operating similar to a coat check, the bike valet service offers free, secure parking for bicycles and other non-carbon vehicles such as strollers, skateboards, and scooters. The bike valet is another partnership project between the city and Tourism Richmond and is sponsored by the Steveston Harbour Authority, which is providing the location for the bike valet.

The bike valet secure area is always monitored and will be operated by Bicycle Valet, a professional bike valet service and social enterprise of Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST).

The bike valet is located in the heart of Steveston Village, in the Gulf of Georgia Cannery parking lot and has a capacity of up to 75 bicycles. It operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays all summer, until Sept. 5.