NORTHAMPTON — ValleyBike Share is adding more than 100 new bikes and welcoming a new city to its operations, thanks to a nearly $1 million state grant.

The city of Northampton, which oversees the ValleyBike Share program that now serves 10 communities in the Pioneer Valley, on Wednesday announced the $990,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The MCEC grant was awarded as part of its Accelerating Clean Transportation for All (ACT4All) initiative, meant to provide funding for alternative, environmentally clean sources of transportation.

According to the city’s Planning & Sustainability Director Carolyn Misch, the grant will allow for six to eight new electric-bike stations to be built over the next two years, containing more than 100 additional bikes which will be strategically located near affordable housing and employment hubs.

The grant also provides support for low-income riders through free or reduced cost memberships through a partnership with organizations like Valley Community Development and Community Action Pioneer Valley.

“We’re partnering with [these organizations] to help get the word out to their constituents and help with sign-ups for membership,” Misch said.

The grant also includes provisions for a program to develop new business sponsorships for ValleyBike Share to ensure long-term sustainability. Other e-bike services in larger cities are generally supported by a main sponsor, such as CitiBank for New York City and Blue Cross Blue Shield for Massachusetts.

“The Pioneer Valley is not a first-tier city like Boston or New York, so it will probably mean multiple smaller businesses can participate,” Misch said. “Smaller businesses can participate at maybe a lower dollar amount, but they get some visibility.”

In addition to the grant, ValleyBike is adding the city of Westfield to its list of serviced locations. Westfield becomes the 10th area to be a part of the program, joining Springfield, Holyoke, West Springfield, Chicopee, Easthampton, Northampton, Amherst, South Hadley, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.

Misch told the Gazette that Westfield had previously expressed interest in becoming a part of the program for several years and had secured funding to do so, but delayed joining after ValleyBike’s previous operating company, Bewegen, declared bankruptcy.

“They waited because they didn’t know what the status of the program was going to be,” Misch said. “Once we relaunched, they came back into the conversation about wanting to be a participant.”

ValleyBike went on a hiatus in 2023 following Bewegen’s bankruptcy, and Northampton began the search for a new provider. In May 2024, the city announced that it had contracted with Drop Mobility to become the new provider for ValleyBike Share. The company, founded in Toronto and headquartered in San Francisco, also provides bike operations in cities across the U.S. such as New Orleans, Kansas City and Colorado Springs.

After reopening, ValleyBike employed a fleet of 350 bikes, 50 of which were newer Drop Mobility models. The fleet size is less than half of what had previously been in the ValleyBike system before the shutdown, but the new grant will help recuperate some of those numbers.

“This is about micromobility and transportation options, not simply recreation,” said Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra in a statement regarding the new grant. “It’s about giving our residents — especially those in low-income or rural areas — reliable, clean, and affordable ways to get to work, school, appointments, and essential services.”

Those seeking to use ValleyBike Share must have the ValleyBike app installed on their cellphones. Plans available include a pay-as-you-go option that costs 25 cents a minute, plus $1 to unlock the bike; a monthly plan that costs $25 (currently $15 under a spring season promotion) and includes 60 minutes of free ride time per day, followed by a 15 cents per minute charge afterward; and an equity membership plan available for people who either qualify for SNAP, MassHealth/Medicaid and/or Social Security Disability Insurance that costs $4 month and includes 60 minutes of free ride time per day, followed by 10 cents per minute afterward.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.