Shoppers cycling to Hillside Centre will now be able to safely store their ride with a new no-cost bike valet.
The mall launched its free service on Thursday (April 6) and will be piloting it for six months as demand for safe bicycle storage continues to grow.
Hillside marketing manager Michele Paget said planning for the complimentary valet started soon after Walmart opened its third store in Greater Victoria at the centre last June.
“When we opened Walmart, we had a lot more people that were coming with bikes,” Paget told the Victoria News. “And we got a lot of comments asking for more bike racks – so we started to think we we could do that would be a little bit better.”
It’s not only for bicycles, though. Paget said the bike valet allows other modes of active transportation, including scooters and strollers.
“It services a lot of families around the Oaklands area – we have a lot of people that come here with their kids on the weekends with strollers and trailers.”
Paget said three bike valets have been hired to operate the pilot program, which is expected to be cost between $30,000 and $50,000 over the next six months.
While the bike valet takes up four spaces in the parking lot facing Hillside Avenue, it alternatively provides space for 35 to 40 people to safely lock up their bike, scooter or stroller at no extra cost.
The service is currently in operation Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, although hours are expected to be extended as the weather in Greater Victoria warms up heading into summer, according to Paget.
In March, the City of Victoria brought back its free bike valet at the corner of Pandora Avenue and Broad Street after a successful launch last year.
That service continues until Dec. 23, while Hillside’s pilot program runs until Sept. 30.
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