Bikeshare is often touted as healthy, inexpensive, and attractive form of alternative transportation. It is seen as something to catalyze a “healthier and more vibrant” community or a stronger economy or more sustainable region. It is convenient for users and can help them connect to other forms of transit.
At first glance, these benefits make bikeshare a very attractive option for addressing many issues found in underserved areas of communities. Unfortunately, the technology that makes bikeshare’s spread possible also makes it difficult for the transportation mode to work in underserved communities. Bikeshare’s promise to be an effective tool for positive change is broken by its inability to be fully inclusive.
With funding from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, BikeWalkKC has been working on an effort to provide targeted outreach, a community-led planning and programmatic assistance to make bikeshare a truly equitable form of transportation and recreation in Kansas City. We've spent the past several months conducting one-on-one meetings with community stakeholders in our target neighborhoods. Several community meetings have sparked new ideas and have given us valuable insight into the needs of under-resourced neighborhoods.
The findings from this process will provide a blueprint for B-cycle to become a truly equitable and accessible form of transportation.
At this time, we are looking for your input via our Mind Mixer community engagement tool. One topic asks you to show us where you think B-cycle stations should be installed in three target neighborhoods. Another topic asks you to submit your ideas about the barriers, oportunities and challenges associated with bike share access in under-resourced communities.