The
Nice Ride Minnesota bike-sharing program closed for winter on Nov. 7, but it's still creating a buzz.
Nice Ride, which debuted this summer as the nation's largest program of its kind, is now holding planning workshops in
Minneapolis and St. Paul, to get feedback about where additional
stations ought to go.
The easy-to-spot lime-green bikes were wildly successful, lending to
over 100,000 trips in only four and a half months from its current 65 stations downtown Minneapolis and near the University of Minnesota, according to Nice
Ride information. Only a couple bikes went astray.
Those statistics alone, Nice Ride's executive director Bill Dossett, says, are " a big deal."
In keeping with its early business plan, Nice Ride ultimately wants to
triple in size, with another 130 stations--half of which would go into
St. Paul. "We've done the legwork to now say, let's grow to St. Paul
and these other areas," he says.
Dossett says that in scoping out locations for the bike corrals,
high-density areas are important, offering people the chance to "do
multiple things, such as ride to places where they shop and work."
As a part of its "phase two" expansion plan, North Minneapolis will see
at least six new stations.
But the program has a ways to go to fund bike stations for downtown St. Paul and
University and Grand avenues where he says it makes sense to try to serve Central Corridor light
rail users and the nearby colleges and universities.
A single station, including bikes, equipment, installation and assembly, costs $44,000.
Recently Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota pledged $1.5 million to
the cause but he explains that Nice Ride needs to come up with the other two-thirds of
the whole cost.
It's a challenge, but in light of its popularity so far, Dossett is
hopeful that the funding will come through. "The reason we're so excited
about this is because we think active transportation is great for our
health and communities," he says, adding, "We want to live in
communities where people walk and bike."
Source: Bill Dossett, executive director, Nice Ride MN
Writer: Anna Pratt