Tag Archives: north kansas city

Electric-assist RideKC Bikes coming to North Kansas City

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2023

The City of North Kansas City will soon upgrade the bicycles available and the parking rules for its bike share program. Beginning January 17, 2023, a new fleet of smart electric-assist RideKC Bikes will be replacing the classic pedal bikes. The e-bikes feature electric motors that will give riders a boost when they engage the pedals and solid tires that never go flat.

Formerly, the City of North Kansas City required riders to park and lock RideKC Bikes at designated RideKC Bike hubs. The new rule takes advantage of the e-bikes’ smart “lock-to” technology, allowing users to use the built-in lock to secure bikes at existing RideKC Bike hubs, or any publicly-available bike rack within the RideKC Bike service area, which now includes North Kansas City.

This lock-to technology ensures that bikes are parked responsibly and out of the public right-of-way. RideKC e-bikes feature on-board GPS, which notifies local operating staff when the equipment needs servicing, charging, or is improperly parked.

Pricing, user instructions, and a link to download the RideKC Bike can be found on RideKC Bike’s website: www.ridekcbike.com/ride-with-us/. Locations for all RideKC Bikes and parking hubs are available in the RideKC Bike app.

“North Kansas City is proud to offer electric-assist bikes as a more accessible, equitable and healthier mobility option,” says Bryant DeLong, North Kansas City Mayor. “Electric-assist bikes help advance the priorities of the NKC Bike Master Plan and further positions our city as a leader in micromobility and transit in the region”

“Residents are really looking forward to electric bikes,” says Eric Vaughan, director of bike share with BikeWalkKC. “We are excited to be a part of North Kansas City’s future of connectivity.”

The public and members of the media are invited to an event launching the new fleet of electric-assist RideKC Bikes on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 4 p.m. at North Kansas City City Hall (2010 Howell Street).

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About RideKC Bike: Launched in 2012, RideKC Bike is the Kansas City metropolitan area’s community bike share program and is operated by BikeWalkKC and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. The system provides a unique integration of public transit and shared use mobility for residents and visitors. The bike share program is a part of the RideKC regional transit family of mobility services, including bus, MAX, streetcar, paratransit, and bike share services. For more information, please visit www.ridekcbike.com.

CONTACTS:

Eric Vaughan
Director of Bike Share, BikeWalkKC
816-945-9545
eric.vaughan@bikewalkkc.org

Kim Nakahodo
Deputy City Administrator, City of North Kansas City
816-274-6000
knakahodo@nkc.org

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.