BikeWalkKC’s bike share program continues expand and grow since its debut in 2012. Our latest expansion in 2017 added several new locations in neighborhoods like UMKC, North Kansas City, the River Market, and West 39th Street. During 2018 we will be hard at work planning for future phases, incorporating new technology, and building a regional bi-state system. Here is a sneak peek at what we have in the works over the next couple of years.
Kansas
Kansas City BCycle in North Kansas City
Federal transportation funds have been awarded in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties to help support the roll-out of bike share in the 2018-2020 time frame. BikeWalkKC is currently working with several jurisdictions in Kansas to establish partnerships and make plans for where and how bike share will work in these communities.
Timeline
We anticipate these new bike share locations will be up and running by spring of 2019. However, there are still several steps along the way, including selecting sites, final approvals by each jurisdiction, and working the Kansas Department of Transportation to procure equipment with federal funding.
BikeWalkKC’s Kansas City BCycle program is a public/private/nonprofit partnership, and our corporate sponsors like Blue KC, Mobank, and Boulevard are an important part of making bike share happen in Kansas City. Our timeline for expanding in Kansas will depend in part on how quickly we can add new corporate sector partners step up to support bike share.
Johnson County Parks
The Johnson County Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners has given preliminary approval for 70 bikes, which will be located at several county parks: Shawnee Mission, Heritage, and Meadowbrook Parks, plus the new Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. The bikes will also serve the very popular Gary Haller and Coffee Creek trails.
Olathe
The Olathe City Council has approved grant matching funds for a first phase of 30 bikes. The locations are currently being determined in a Planning Sustainable Places study supported by the Mid-America Regional Council. Deployment of the system is contingent on secured private sponsors.
Lenexa
The City of Lenexa is planning for 25 bikes at locations that could include the area around Lenexa City Center and some major city parks. The exact details will be determined during 2018 through the City’s upcoming Complete Streets study aimed at developing a citywide strategy for improving walking and biking.
Kansas City, KS
The Unified Government of KCK/Wyandotte County is considering a plan for 20-50 bikes that would likely include the KU Med area and other parts of KCK.. This plan is being considered by the Board of Commissioners this month for their approval.
Missouri
On the Missouri side our first phase of 12 stations and 90 bikes in 2012 has grown to 41 stations and 240 bikes in both KCMO and North Kansas City. We also have federal funding in the pipeline for continued expansion on the Missouri side. However, the timing of that funding is a little bit later than in Kansas, so our specific plans are still in progress.
This year one of our highest priorities is improving the equity of bike share in KC, to ensure it is both physically and programmatically accessible to neighborhoods that have high disparities in health, economic opportunity, and transportation options. To do this we are building partnerships with community groups like the American Heart Association, Hope Faith Ministries, Westside Housing Authority, and others. One specific strategy we are pursuing is integrating more bike share with RideKC’s current and planned MAX lines.
Finally, in 2018 we will continue to look for opportunities to include new bike share stations into new and existing developments. Recent examples of this strategy include the new Boulevard Tours and Rec Center, Tiehen Realty’s Plaza 209 apartments, Brookside 51/Whole Foods, and community institutions like the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the Kansas City Art Institute.
Stay tuned for more details
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