Author Archives: Liz Harris

Take the RideKC Bike Survey

Take the RideKC Bike survey by December 31!

Take the RideKC Bike survey! Whether you rode with us a lot, a little, or not at all this year, we want to hear from you. Your feedback will help us plan for the future and fine-tune our processes to offer you even better service. Survey closes at midnight on December 31, 2024.

BONUS: When you complete the survey and share your contact information, you are entered to win a free annual RideKC Bike membership ($149 value)! If you're already an annual member (thank you!), your next annual membership will be free. No refunds on a membership you've already purchased, and no trading in the membership for cash.

Hibernation for Kansas RideKC Bike fleets

All Lenexa, Johnson County Park & Recreation District, and Aspiria bikes, and a portion of the Kansas City, KS fleet will be out of service starting December 1. Each year, the bikes in these fleets get a full tune-up over the winter months to prepare them for the busy spring biking season. In accordance with RideKC Bike's agreements with our partners, the fleets will be hibernating from December until March.

If you are a RideKC Bike member, your membership works in all of our systems. Use the RideKC Bike app to find bikes in KCMO, KCK, and North Kansas City all year round!

đź“Ş Questions? Email our customer service team at info@ridekcbike.com.

Coming in 2025: New year, new updates

In 2019, RideKC Bike upgraded our system with new smart, lock-to e-bikes. For the past five years, we have collected and analyzed data from the system, talked to our peer programs in other communities, and listened to our riders’ questions and comments. 

We saw a common theme in our research: it’s time to make improvements and efficiencies that preserve flexibility and value for our riders.

“Love the service, need more bikes”
“There’s never enough bikes at my hub”
“Please put more bikes at Armour and Main”
“Not enough full charged bikes in Country Club Plaza”

We agree! So in addition to the new bikes and high-capacity batteries we added this summer, RideKC Bike will roll out the following updates on January 1, 2025:

New RideKC Bike Wrangler Program gives people an opportunity to earn free access to bike share! 

Monthly RideKC Bike Members automatically get their next month’s membership for FREE when they return 20 or more out-of-hub bikes in a calendar month back to designated hubs.

Out-of-Hub Parking Convenience Fee

Users will still have the option to park outside of the hubs designated on the RideKC Bike app, but they will be charged a $2 out-of-hub convenience fee. Bikes parked at designated hubs are less likely to be vandalized or stolen, and more bikes at hubs means more users can reliably find a bike when they need it. We hope this new policy will encourage more people to return their bikes to hubs, which in turn means less time RideKC Bike staff must spend recovering unlocked bikes and stocking hubs.

Per-minute rate updates 

Classic pedal bike per-minute rate will increase from 10 cents to 15 cents per minute.

Electric bike per-minute rate will increase from 15 cents to 25 cents per minute.

FAQs

I’m already a Member, how will I be affected? 

Membership and Explorer Pass rates are not changing. The new per-minute rate will only apply if you have overage time beyond your Membership minutes. If parking outside of a designated RideKC Bike Hub, there will be a $2 convenience fee. 

How do I know where designated RideKC Bike Hubs are located? 

The RideKC Bike app displays all available locations. They are often (but not always) a royal blue bike rack.

How do I enroll in the Bike Wrangler Program to earn free access?

Yeehaw! Anyone with a RideKC Bike Monthly Membership will be eligible to become a Bike Wrangler. Earn one Return-to-Hub point for each stray RideKC Bike you corral and lock up at a designated hub. Once you have earned 10 Return-to-Hub Points you automatically become a Bike Wrangler!

By earning 20 Return-to-Hub Points in a calendar month, a Bike Wrangler qualifies for a free Monthly Membership that is redeemable for the subsequent month. Click here for more details about the Bike Wrangler Program.

How will these changes benefit RideKC Bike Annual or Monthly Members?

Together these updates will improve service, ensuring that more bikes are ready to ride when you are. 

The new Bike Wrangler program will allow Monthly Members the opportunity to earn free access to bike share by simply returning bikes to designated hubs. 

The out-of-hub convenience fee will help ensure that more bikes are readily available, and reduce instances of theft or vandalism. 

Will these changes apply everywhere in the Kansas City Metro?

The Bike Wrangler program will be available to any RideKC Bike Monthly Members.

The out-of-hub convenience fee is subject to all areas of the system, except for Johnson County Parks and Lenexa where ending a trip has always been restricted to only designated hubs. 

The per-minute rate updates apply to all areas of the Kansas City Metro. 

 

Need more information? Click here to find the rest of our Frequently Asked Questions.

These updates go into effect January 1, 2025.

If you’ve taken our annual surveys, contacted our customer service team, emailed, or sent a message on social media, THANK YOU for helping improve bike share in the Kansas City region! We are confident that these updates will get more people biking more often, and when it comes down to it, that’s really why we’re here.

Please send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com if you have any questions.

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. 

May is Bike Month! 30% off Annual RideKC Bike Memberships with code BIKEMONTH23

Bike Month Special: 30% off Annual Memberships

This offer expired on May 31, 2024. Join our Bike Share mailing list to be notified about our next special offer!

May is Bike Month! To celebrate, RideKC Bike is offering steep discounts on our Annual Memberships. RideKC Bike Annual Members get 80 minutes of free ride time every day with no unlock fees, and when you use code BIKEMONTH24 in May, you can ride for less than 30 cents a day.

How to get 30% off an Annual RKCB Membership:

1. Download the RideKC Bike app from your Apple or Google app store and create an account.

2. Redeem the code in "Coupons and Credits" before you select pricing and membership. Redeeming the code will automatically select an Annual Membership and activate the 30% discount.

3. Confirm your purchase and enjoy your ride!

This offer is valid May 1-31 and is good for new and renewing members only. It does not apply to current members. Ride time beyond the 80 free minutes per day costs 15 cents per minute. Users may incur an extra fee for parking a bike without ending their trip or using the cable lock, or for parking a bike in a manner that blocks an access point.

Need more details? Read our Ride With Us guide or send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com.

RKCB e-bike backlit against a blue sky

Growing demand for RideKC Bike causes some growing pains, but there’s a cure

We know many of our customers are experiencing challenges finding bikes where they need them when they need them, with enough battery charge to get them where they want to go. 

We also know many of you rely on RideKC Bike to get to work, school, shopping, etc. Several of you even rely on bike share to maintain a no-car or car-lite household!

Many of us on the RideKC Bike and BikeWalkKC team rely on bike share ourselves, so we know how frustrating it is when a bike is not available or accessible.

So we want to give you a peek behind the bike shop curtain to share how things are going, the challenges we are facing, and what we are doing to make bikes more reliably available. 

  • Record ridership has led to particularly high demand on the fleet
  • Supply chain disruptions are still a big deal, making it difficult on operations to keep up with the high demand for our bikes
  • Hub parking incentive programs are being evaluated as a way to improve operational efficiency and make more bikes readily available for the public
  • Inflation means that money that could be going to buy new bikes instead gets used on parts and supplies
  • RideKC Bike supports a bi-state, multi-county, and regional transit funding solution
  • How you can help us pedal through the growing pains

Questions? Email us at info@ridekcbike.com to get in touch. 

Record usage 

You LOVE bike share, and it shows. Nearly every month since 2021, y’all have broken ridership records. June 2023 was the biggest month we’ve ever had, with more than 6,300 rides completed.  

“It made me actually experience parts of KC instead of just driving through them. I realized how much of the city has just passed by me through windshield glass, and how little I had truly explored.” – RideKC Bike Rider

“RideKC Bike allowed me to drop down to a “car sharing” household. I share a car with another household and make 90% of my trips via transit, RideKC Bike, or carpooling.” – RideKC Bike Rider

These numbers are phenomenal, but it means our operations crew is stretched thin. They are working seven days a week to keep up with re-balancing bikes around the city and doing maintenance to keep the bikes in good working condition. We admit that it has been a challenge for them to keep up with demand.  Unusually bad air quality and frequent ozone alerts in Kansas City g this summer make it even more difficult to work as fast as we’d like. It’s doubly frustrating for us, because  we know getting more people out of cars and onto bikes is critical for addressing the climate crisis.

If you see our crew out in the field, be sure to say hello and thank them for all they do! It means a lot to hear your encouragement when they are working extra hard to get you bikes.

RideKC Bike staff at Shawnee Mission Park
RKCB staff stocking a hub at Shawnee Mission Park.

Supply chain 

You’ve seen the headlines. Supply chains are still recovering from pandemic disruptions. The bike industry is no exception. The timeline is still significantly longer than normal to get things like tires, wheels, and tools. Batteries for e-bikes are especially difficult to get. 

This year we started upgrading to a new battery that lasts 40% longer so you can take longer trips and we can spend less time swapping batteries. But that upgrade is going slowly due to the supply chain and limited funding. We have started reconditioning old batteries to squeeze a bit more life out of them. And we upgraded our battery charging infrastructure to ensure we can keep all batteries charged and ready to deploy at all times. 

RKCB staff in the bike shop
RKCB shop staff keep our bikes rolling smoothly.

Inflation

Inflation is affecting all of us. Higher prices for bike hardware as well as operational expenses like vehicle maintenance and labor mean less money available for buying more new bikes.  Even as costs have consistently risen over the past several years, RideKC Bike has kept prices low for both our riders and our funding partners. 

How new bikes and hubs are funded 

We get requests for more bikes and new hubs all the time, and we’d love to fulfill every one of those requests, but…

RideKC Bike is operated by Bike Share KC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit partnership between BikeWalkKC, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), and local counties and governments. KCATA is our title sponsor (thus “RideKC Bike”) and local governments provide about 60% of funding needed to operate, maintain, and deploy bikes.  The user fees you pay to unlock and ride a bike only cover 20% of what it costs us to maintain, repair, and insure the bike. 

As a mission-based nonprofit working towards mobility justice, we keep our prices as low as possible. We have not raised our rates since we began transitioning to e-bikes in 2019. We are currently in active discussions with local governments about increasing their investments in the bike share system. Those discussions are positive, but it takes time to secure new funding and procure new equipment. 

How is RideKC Bike funded?
When we launched in 2012, we were among only a handful of public/non-profit bike share operators in the US!

Corporate sponsorships and advertising are also important parts of our revenue model. Unfortunately, the pandemic prompted many corporations to change or scale back their charitable giving and corporate social responsibility programs. Cities with more corporate headquarters have better luck getting big investment in bike share (e.g. Nike in Portland, Hulu in Los Angeles, Citibank in New York).

SHOUT OUT to great corporate citizens like Tiehen Realty, Woodside Village, Aspiria (the former Sprint Campus), Boulevard Brewing, and others for investing in bike share hubs for their tenants, customers, and visitors. HINT:  We need more businesses to become bike share sponsors! If you are a business owner and want to learn more about becoming a sponsor and promoting bike share to your customers, email Eric Vaughan at .

Foundations and philanthropy are important for nonprofit bike share programs in many cities around the country, but here in Kansas City the philanthropic community has not been as receptive to investing in bike share specifically, and in transportation and mobility generally. We are very grateful for some early investments from Founding Sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (now the Health Forward Foundation), and the H&R Block Foundation. The reality is we need more funders willing to invest in transportation solutions that mitigate climate change and are accessible to all residents.

The Kansas City region has underinvested in public transit, including bike share. Per capita, we spend less on transit than almost all comparable midwest cities. That’s why RideKC Bike and our partners at BikeWalkKC support the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance’s work to advocate for a bi-state, multi-county, and regional transit funding solution that will reduce the reliance on KCMO taxpayers for a transit system that adequately serves the entire region.

RKCB hub sponsored by Kansas City Freight House

“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.” – Nicholas GrĂĽnauer, owner of Kansas City Freight House and the GrĂĽnauer restaurant, which sponsors a RideKC Bike hub to benefit their customers, staff, and neighbors.

How you can help

  • Use the RideKC Bike app to locate bikes and to find out their battery status for any advance trip planning.
  • 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.
  • Let your city know that you want more bikes! 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. 
 
With more local support, RideKC Bike can expand the bike share fleet to meet residents’ high demand:
  • If you work for a company that offers grants or sponsorships to nonprofit organizations, please reach out to the leadership and ask them to consider adding bike share to their philanthropic priorities. 
  • 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. 
  • If your business is located in a community improvement district, ask them to partner with RideKC Bike.

Thank you

Thank you for making RideKC Bike a phenomenal success. We are working hard to increase our capacity to meet demand and your expectations. Thank you for your patience and patronage as we work through these growing pains to bring you the bike share system you want and deserve!
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.

Missouri classic pedal bikes retiring in 2022

Thanks to new investment from the City of North Kansas City, the pedal bikes in that community will be replaced with new e-bikes!

Starting January 17, RideKC Bike will discontinue the legacy pedal bike fleet in Missouri, which is now ten years old and at the end of its useful life. The pedal bikes in the Johnson County Parks District will remain in service and are not impacted by this transition.

We will be closing the pedal bike hub at Longview Lake, but we are working with Jackson County Parks+Rec to identify opportunities to add a new e-bike hub in the future. In the meantime, your RideKC Bike membership continues to be valid anywhere in the metro area. You can use your RideKC Bike app to find similar trail-based hubs located along the Trolley Track Trail in Kansas City, MO and several parks and trails in Johnson County.  

Retired pedal bikes will be donated to Des Moines B-cycle. They will be upcycled for use as replacements for the bike share system in that city.

Contact us at info@ridekcbike.com with any questions or concerns. 

 

RKCB e-bike backlit against a blue sky

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

RideKC Bike hub at Independence and Woodland

Partnership brings a new RideKC Bike hub to KCMO’s Historic Northeast

Through a new partnership with Independence Avenue CID, Kansas City University, and Jerusalem Farm, RideKC Bikes are available at a new hub on Independence Avenue as of November 8th. The hub is located at Independence Ave and Woodland Ave, but any bike rack in the neighborhood will be able to be used as a parking location.

These bikes complement the existing RideKC Bike fleet located at locations throughout Greater Kansas City, with 45 hubs in Kansas City, MO. This system features an electric-assist bike model that operates in a hybrid “dockless” format. Bikes are located at bike rack “hubs” in each location, which can be found using the RideKC Bike app.

The RideKC Bike system allows users to scan a bike to check it out, ride it safely, and then return it at any authorized hub location. Every bike has both a cable lock that wraps around a fixed object, and a wheel lock that automatically closes through the rear wheel, ensuring responsible parking. Bikes are one dollar to unlock and 15 cents per minute.

Click here to learn more about using RideKC Bike

About RideKC Bike: RideKC Bike is a partnership of BikeWalkKC, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, and the City of Kansas City, MO. 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.