Windsor's Transportation Standing Committee has given the green light for a study to look into a citywide bike share program.
In a 3-2 vote, the committee voted in favour of spending up to $70,000 for a feasibility review, business plan, preliminary station locations and market analysis.
The study would be funded from the city's Bikeways Developments Capital Project.
Councillor Bill Marra voted in favour of the motion.
"We've seen bike share programs very successful in cities around the world in fact," says Marra. "So I think the proper next step is to certainly look at the information that was presented and some of the other assessments the students provided but I think we need a full blown feasibility study that looks at a business case, looks at a marketing approach takes into consideration what a business model would look like."
Marra says the overall cost for a bike share program is still unknown.
"You can't have capital dollars identified for something for which you don't have a study completed," says Marra. "The study will then make recommendations as to what kind of infrastructure required and then that will feed into the budget cycle for the future of city council."
He says it would be a citywide program.
The University of Windsor Students' Alliance launched a bike share pilot project in September 2016.
The two year project wraps up later this year and cost the UWSA more than $156,000.
Marra believes the city will have a look at the UWSA's model.
Committee members Marra, Borrelli and Holt voted in favour of the motion while committee members Francis and Payne voted against it.
The issue now heads to city council for final approval.