After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

Why cyclists are stoked about Evo's expansion to North Van and Burnaby

Avid cyclist and East Vancouver resident Ryan Whyte couldn't contain his excitement when he found out his favourite car sharing program had expanded its reach to his favourite hiking and biking trails. Photo by Elizabeth McSheffrey.

Avid cyclist Ryan Whyte can’t wait to hit the trails this summer. 

Lynn Canyon, Deer Lake Park, Golden Ears Provincial Park — there are very few places the East Vancouver resident can’t access now that Evo has expanded its Home Zone to include the City of North Vancouver, Metrotown, Capilano University, SFU, and BCIT.  

“It’s very exciting,” he says. “I immediately messaged my girlfriend to tell her…you can go hike or bike and have a car waiting for you when you get back.” 

Whyte, who doesn’t own his own vehicle, has been an Evo Member since the car sharing company launched last year, and has previously used it for big grocery runs and moving trips. 

But now, he's looking forward to using Evo to commute to work at BCIT on rainy days and for all kinds of outdoor adventures, no longer limited to central Vancouver. 

“Definitely them having the bike racks is a selling feature for us,” he says, referencing Evo’s spacious, four-door cars.

The expansion means Ryan and his girlfriend can book a car in East Van using the Evo App on their smartphone which now includes a handy reservation countdown timer, directions to the nearest car or parking location, and the ability to check your minutes and billing right from the App. 

They can then drive to an area within the new Home Zone, drop off the car and bike to great destinations in North Van, Burnaby and beyond.

The vehicles — instantly recognizable by their black and blue design — also include ski racks, plenty of trunk space, and what Whyte describes as a “great sound system.”

“We’ll put our bikes on the roof to get to wherever we’re going,” he explains, “then maybe go for a bike ride and put them back on the roof on the way back. Being able to get closer to nature is great.”

EVO, EVO car share, cyclist, Vancouver, public transitNorth Vancouver resident Tracey O'Haggarty is a new Evo Member and can't wait to take her family on a lengthy bike trip in North Vancouver. Photo by Elizabeth McSheffrey.

 

An awesome addition to your transportation toolkit 

Evo announced the expansion of its boundaries at the beginning of June, along with a large addition to its fleet of hybrids. 

It was icing on the cake for North Vancouver resident Tracey O’Haggarty, who signed up as soon as she heard the good news. 

Unlike Whyte, O’Haggarty is a vehicle owner, but like Whyte, she is an avid cyclist. 

The car she shares with her partner doesn’t have a bike rack however, and with a young child at home, long bicycle trips haven’t really been an option for them. Now, she plans to throw their bikes on the rack and their little one in the back for rides around North Vancouver, Stanley Park and UBC.  

More in Travel

Great places to hike in British Columbia

These awesome BC hikes are some of the world's most beautiful.

Top 8 Vancouver Day Trips: British Columbia's beautiful hot springs

British Columbia's beautiful hot springs offer vacationers a relaxing way of being in nature or just kicking back. Get your soak on.

Sunshine Coast a year-round outdoor haven with plenty of 'Beachcombers'

Howe Sound is glass-still on the voyage from Gibsons Landing to Keats Island, save for the odd motorboat wake jostling the kayak. The peace is also broken momentarily as a seal bursts out of the...
Speak up about this article on Facebook or Twitter. Do this by liking Vancouver Observer on Facebook or following us @Vanobserver on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.