Tag Archives: kcmo

Jordon pedals a RideKC Bike up the hill

RideKC Bike powers up in 2024

You LOVE bike share!

Kansas Citians are discovering the joys of going by bike more everyday as they continue to set outstanding records for ridership. RideKC Bike consistently sees annual double digit growth.  In the first quarter of 2024 alone, we saw trip rates per bike increase another 60% compared to the same time last year. 

This incredible growth has also come with challenges as we help the community pioneer a path to electrification. Last summer, we talked about a few of those growing pains. Some areas of our service, especially in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) where the equipment is beginning to wear due to particularly high use over many years, are ready for reinvestment so we can continue providing the highest levels of service for the community. 

Gearing up for more bikes and new batteries

 

Our KCMO fleet was last renewed in 2020, and aging batteries have limited the number of bikes we can deploy over the last two summers. Fortunately, the KCMO City Council recently approved matching funds to a federal grant that will allow us to replace old batteries and purchase new bikes! 

We love that the new electric bikes are so popular, and we are excited to share some of the upcoming plans we have to help meet such high demand.

 

RideKC Bike operations staff stocks a hub with bikes.

What is RideKC Bike's next step?

RideKC Bike is working with local municipal partners on grants and reinvestment opportunities to improve service levels and make the electric bikes more efficient than ever. Thanks to these partners and grants, over 100 more electric bikes will be added in 2024! 

These new electric bikes will be paired with the introduction of new higher efficiency batteries, with over 40% more capacity than our current batteries, helping improve range and capacity for more trips and miles for all our riders. Stay tuned for some coming announcements on the timing of these new bikes and batteries. 

We’re not stopping there, though. Plans are already underway for adding additional bikes to expand service in new neighborhoods as well as increase capacity in our existing service area over the next couple years as we work to help move Kansas City into the future of efficient transportation options. 

In the interim, we're stretching our resources and building capacity:

  • Reconditioning older batteries to squeeze out a bit more juice
  • Fixing damaged bikes as parts become available
  • Applying for grants and new funding early and often

Wanna be the power in our pedals?

As a mission-based nonprofit transit provider, we are focused on providing the highest possible standard of service while also keeping costs low for our riders. RideKC Bike has never increased usage prices since the program launched in 2012. The user fees you pay to unlock and ride a bike cover 20% of what it costs us to operate, maintain, and deploy RideKC Bikes. Corporate partners provide another 20%, and city and county governments carry the remaining 60% of operating costs.

 

RideKC Bike allowed me to drop down to a "car sharing" household. I shre a car with another household and make 90% of my trips via transit, RideKC Bike, or carpooling.

Be a squeaky wheel

Let your city know that you want more bikes! Cities love hearing positive feedback on our local community programs. Reach out to the mayor and city council members in your community. In our region, there are a number of cities that invest in and offer bike share, including KCMO, NKC, KCK, Lenexa, and Johnson County Parks & Recreation District. Let them know that bike share is a valuable resource and that you want to see it expanded to better meet your needs for transportation, recreation, and health. We want local governments to view bike share as a quality-of-life amenity for its residents.

More ways you can give RideKC Bike a boost

  1. If you work for a company that offers grants or sponsorships to nonprofit organizations, reach out to the leadership and ask them to consider adding bike share to their philanthropic priorities. 
  2. If you work for a real estate development or property management company, ask them to sponsor a bike share hub at their office building or apartment complex. 
  3. If your business is located in a community improvement district (CID), ask them to partner with RideKC Bike.

In the meantime, here's how you can get the most out of your ride

  1. Use the RideKC Bike app to locate bikes and to find out their battery status for any advance trip planning.
  2. As much as possible, please return bikes to a hub at the end of your trip to cut down on the time it takes our team to retrieve bikes and restock the hubs. Bikes parked at hubs are also less likely to be vandalized.
  3. Report any maintenance issues through the RideKC Bike app or by email info@ridekcbike.com.

Thank you

We’re proud to serve as Kansas City’s grassroots non-profit bike share program since 2012. Thank you for making RideKC Bike such a success! We remain committed to providing the highest standards of service as we continue to transition and grow the electric fleet. 

How to navigate the NFL Draft events with RideKC Bike

RideKC Bike at the NFL Draft

Are you headed to the NFL Draft events April 27-29? If you’re taking a RideKC Bike, we have some tips to help you roll smoothly.

How to navigate the NFL Draft with RideKC Bike:

  • Park your car outside the downtown area. We suggest using your RideKC Bike app to choose an area with plenty of bikes available (Country Club Plaza, Midtown, North KC, or KCK are good bets)
  • Use the app to find a bike near you and check its battery level.
  • When you pedal up to the crowd, lock up the bike at a public bike rack, street sign, or other fixed object. Please do not lock the bike to a bus stop or street car stop, handrail, or private property, and make sure your bike isn’t blocking a sidewalk, stairway, doorway, or other access point.

Don’t panic if you can’t get a signal:

Event organizers are warning that cell phone service may be spotty with so many people downtown. This could impact the reliability of our app and your ability to start/end trips.

  • If you are unable to end your trip and upload a photo, please contact customer support through the app. We will reply and reverse any overage fees within 24 hours.
  • We recommend using a credit card instead of a debit card if possible, to avoid tying up your funds and to allow for a faster refund if needed.
  • During especially busy times, you may need to wait for crowds to disperse and cell service to return before you can unlock a bike.
RKCB hub sponsored by Kansas City Freight House

Press Release: Kansas City Freight House and RideKC Bike Connect the Crossroads With RideKCBike Hub and Parking for Dozens of Bicycles and Scooters

Kansas City Freight House is partnering with BikeWalkKC and RideKC Bike to provide multi-modal parking and bike share in the Crossroads District. Freight House is sponsoring a RideKC Bike hub, and has installed scooter parking and custom-branded racks for up to 30 bicycles - without removing any car parking.

Research shows that people who walk and bicycle for transportation visit local businesses more often, and spend more money over time, than drivers do. And infrastructure improvements like good sidewalks, bike lanes, and multi-modal parking zones slow car traffic and improve community health and safety for residents, employees, and visitors.

Home to over 2000 residents, plus art studios, small grocers, shops, and restaurants, the Crossroads District is a neighborhood and a destination. In recent years, First Friday events have transformed the area into a car-free plaza for art lovers one evening every month. Kansas City Freight House’s investment in bicycle and scooter parking complements the Crossroads’s emphasis on people-centered spaces and community connection.

“Kansas City Freight House is investing in the future of their business and their neighborhood. RideKC Bike has made working closely with the local business community a priority, and this project is another great example of the community’s ongoing support,” says Eric Vaughan, Director of Bike Share at RideKC Bike.

“This new bike share hub is a prime example of how public/private partnerships can benefit Kansas City,” said Kansas City, Missouri City Manager, Brian Platt. “These are smart investments that leverage and amplify the City's commitment to healthy and sustainable transportation and coordinate with the City’s existing efforts to continue building out the network of protected bicycle facilities, prioritize our Vision Zero initiative, and invest in safe, accessible, multimodal infrastructure.”

“We have been a part of the Crossroads neighborhood for 12 years and couldn't be more excited about the growth we have witnessed and realize there is much more on the way.  As new residents and businesses continue to move into the neighborhood we need to refocus our transportation strategies away from a strictly car centric approach and begin to enhance our pedestrian and bike experiences.  While the new bike share is a small start we have more projects on the way to improve our connectivity both on site and in the neighborhood.  We look forward to a more walkable and bikeable community,” says Nicholas Grünauer, owner of Kansas City Freight House and the Grünauer restaurant.

 ###

About RideKC Bike: RideKC Bike is a partnership of BikeWalkKC, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. The system provides a unique integration of public transit and shared use mobility. Fleets of traditional pedal bikes and electric-assist bikes provide residents and visitors with healthy, sustainable options for getting around the Kansas City metro. BikeWalkKC is the owner/operator of RideKC Bike. Learn more at www.ridekcbike.com.

About Kansas City Freight House: Located in the heart of the cultural Crossroads Arts District, the historic Kansas City Freight House building is home to three restaurants, Jack Stack Barbecue, Lidia’s Kansas City, and Grünauer.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Scrivner
513-919-9613
amy.scrivner@bikewalkkc.org

Club Woodside and Kansas City Freight House are RideKC Bike’s newest hub sponsors

Two local businesses make private investments in public good

Club Woodside in Westwood, Kansas and Kansas City Freight House in the Crossroads District in Kansas City, Missouri are RideKC Bike's newest hub sponsors, with each offering distinct amenities.

Club Woodside, located between hubs in KCMO's Country Club Plaza and KCK's Rosedale, provides bike share access in an area previously not served by RideKC Bike. They purchased custom, Woodside-branded racks for both personal bicycles and RideKC bikes, and they are also sponsoring free annual RideKC Bike memberships for all club members.

Kansas City Freight House is also sponsoring a RideKC Bike hub, and has installed custom-branded racks for up to 30 bicycles, as well as established a scooter parking zone. Home to over 2000 residents, plus art studios, small grocers, shops, and restaurants, the Crossroads District is a neighborhood and a destination. Freight House’s investment in bicycle and scooter parking complements the Crossroads’s emphasis on people-centered spaces and community connection.

"RideKC Bike has made working closely with the local business community a priority, and these projects are great examples of the community’s ongoing support,” says Eric Vaughan, Director of Bike Share at RideKC Bike.

Research shows that people who walk and bicycle for transportation visit local businesses more often, and spend more money over time, than drivers do. And infrastructure improvements like good sidewalks, bike lanes, and multi-modal parking zones slow car traffic and improve community health and safety for residents, employees, and visitors. RideKC Bike and BikeWalkKC offer low-cost, high-quality bike racks, wellness program consulting services, and more to help your business welcome employees and customers who arrive by bike. Get in touch and let us help you become a bike-friendly business!

Park it, Lock it, Snap it: Neighborly parking with RideKC Bike and Scooter

Bike share is transit, and as part of the transit system, RideKC Bike is committed to improving mobility for everyone in our service area. Besides providing consistent service, well-kept equipment, and thoughtfully distributed vehicles for our riders, that also means keeping sidewalks clear for people not using RideKC Bike. We work with municipalities, businesses and residents to ensure pedestrian safety and access and convenient bike share parking. Here are some tips for what we like to call “neighborly parking.”

Park it:

If you’re using a classic (pedal-powered) bike, roll the front wheel into an open dock at a station and hold till the light on the dock turns green. If you’re using an e-bike or scooter in KCMO, you can park at a dock, a bike rack, a sign post, or other fixture in the “furniture zone,” which is the area between the walkway and the curb. Be sure that other people can use the bike and you’re not blocking pedestrian access to a stair railing, ADA ramp, or doorway.
If you’re parking in North Kansas City, you can park at a bike share station or a public bike rack.

Lock it:

Use the orange cable to lock the e-bike or scooter. Locking up keeps vehicles secure and out of the way of pedestrians.

Snap it:

When you lock up the vehicle, the Drop app will prompt you to check in the vehicle and snap a picture to prove it’s locked securely. This helps us track our bikes and scooters and keep them maintained.

Neighborly parking is good for the community, good for the equipment, and good for you, because it helps you avoid penalty fees. Have questions? We’ve got answers! Call customer service at 816-945-9545 or email info@ridekcbike.com for any inquiries, including billing, app glitches, and maintenance issues.