Author Archives: Liz Harris

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. 

 

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.

Get to work with Mobility KC

How do you get to work every day? Subscribe to the Mobility KC newsletter to keep up on transportation and jobs access news in the Kansas City region. Published by the MidAmerica Regional Council's RideshareKC program with support from the Ride KC family of transportation services including RideKC Transit, Rideshare KC, KC Streetcar, RideKC Bike, and RideKC Vanpool, Mobility KC seeks to connect employers with cleaner, greener, and more efficient ways to get their employees to work.

It's time to mobilize, Kansas City!

Ten years of bike share in the KC metro

Can you believe it? RideKC Bike is celebrating our 10th Anniversary this month!

Kansas Citians were SO excited to see bike share come to town in 2012. BikeWalkKC launched one of the first bike share systems in the United States, and one of only two non-profit systems. Old-timers will remember that back then, we called ourselves Kansas City BCycle. We knew easy bike rental could be a game changer for our city, and we had big dreams of providing inexpensive, green transportation for residents and visitors.

Bikes were pedal-only, and required docking at designated hubs. We started with just a few locations in the downtown and midtown areas of Kansas City, Missouri, and the bikes were an instant hit.

David J. tried out our bikes at a 2011 First Fridays pop up before we officially opened in 2012.

Now we're RideKC Bike, sponsored by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and part of the RideKC family of transit options. We are still operated by BikeWalkKC, and our team of customer service agents and bike techs is still local. Our bikes are lighter, faster (thanks to electric-assist), and available across Kansas City, Missouri, North Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas, Lenexa, Kansas, select Johnson County parks, and Longview Lake in Jackson County. Stay tuned on social media (@ridekcbike on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) and subscribe to our newsletter for more blasts from the past and sneak peaks at the future of bike share in the KC metro. 

Take 30% off an Annual Membership with code YEAR10KC on the RideKC Bike app. 

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 July 1-31 and is good for new and renewing members only. It does not apply to current members. Need more details? Read our Ride With Us guide.

 

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.

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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!

Free rides for your selfies!

With smartphones in our pockets, we are all artists in this modern world, documenting perfect days for posterity. We want to see your perfect day on a RideKC Bike, and if we use it in our marketing, we’ll send you a code for a free RideKC Bike ride! It’s as simple as…

  • Snap a selfie with a RideKC Bike 
  • Tag @ridekcbike in a public post on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
  • Get a code for a free ride if we use your picture

Show us your favorite scenic routes, local businesses, and parks and tell us how you use RideKC Bike.

 

Classic Bikes are going dockless, joining new RideKC Bike and Scooter app

Love our classic pedal bikes? Get ready for some big improvements! In the coming week we are updating the system:

1. A brand new, unified RideKC Bike and Scooter app for all vehicles, including pedal bikes

Our pedal bike fleet is joining the e-bike and scooters in one unified all new RideKC app, starting July 1. On July 1, your “Drop Mobility” app will no longer be able to checkout bikes, and you can download the new RideKC app in advance for iOS here, and Android here.
All your existing member info will be transitioned on July 1, you just have to login with the same phone number.

2. Converting the Classic Bikes at the docking stations to dockless bikes

You will no longer need to put the pedal bikes into a dock. They can be locked to any bike rack just like the e-bikes.

3. Retiring the kiosks, touch screens, tap cards

All bike check-outs and returns will happen within the app, and you will no longer need to swipe a card at the kiosk, use a touch screen, or carry our tap card.

We look forward to seeing you out riding again soon! Have questions? As always, our local team is here to answer them. Email us at info@ridekcbike.com or call 816-945-9545.

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.