By DuRon Netsell, Bike Parking Services
BikeWalkKC has operated a bike parking consulting program for almost four years now. We’ve helped provide hundreds of bike parking spaces for developers, municipalities, institutions and organizations. We’ve helped elementary schools, high schools, apartment dwellers, dentists, coffee shops, yoga studios, co-working spaces and much more! The best part? We offer our consulting services for free! We can assist with design recommendations, procurement, permitting, meeting municipal requirements, even installation. We are a nonprofit dealer for both Dero and Bike Fixation, industry-leading providers of exceptional USA-made bike racks and other bike parking facilities.
Why do we do this? We know that safer, more convenient bike parking facilities translates to our vision of “a community that is barrier free, has complete biking and walking access, and has a connected culture of active transportation and active lifestyles.”
And did you know? Bikes mean business! According to recent studies, “when people use bikes for errands, they’re the ideal kind of retail customers: regulars. They stop by often and spend as much or more per month as people who arrive in cars. Plus, ten customers who arrive by bike fit in the parking space of one customer who arrives by car” (Source: People for Bikes, 2015).
In the coming months, we’ll share with you some stories of bike parking installations, the services we offer and groups that we’ve helped, as well as examples of not-so-good parking solutions. But for now, we’d like to introduce you to our bike parking team!
Eric Vaughan, Director of Bike Share and Business Services
816-205-7056 extension 6 or eric.vaughan@bikewalkkc.org
Eric keeps the Kansas City bike share system running smoothly, including customer support, sales, corporate membership, station planning, and outreach. He also leads our businesses-focused services like bike parking and bike friendly businesses.
Eric is an avid mountain biker, and helped start the bike program at the University of Central Missouri. He lives in Lee’s Summit and currently serves as chair of the city’s Livable Streets Advisory Board. He is a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor and serves on the BCycle Operator’s Advisory Group.
DuRon Netsell, Sales and Design Consultant
417-496-5134 or DuRon.netsell@bikewalkkc.org
DuRon handles much of the operations of the bike parking program, working on business development, site visits, design recommendations and permitting. DuRon also provides installation services through his company, Midtown Design Development and Construction.
In addition to his consulting work, DuRon maintains his realtor’s license and spends a significant amount of time renovating historic buildings in KCMO’s urban core. When not fixing up buildings or helping clients with their bike parking needs, he is often tending to his forest garden and nursery at the Blue River Food Forest and leading the volunteer based tactical urbanism group, BetterBlockKC.
Glenda Barnhart, Design Consultant and Sales
816-609-3974 or info@gbdigital.consulting
Glenda is a recent transplant from San Francisco’s East Bay, where in addition to owning a bike shop and serving on the board of Bike East Bay, she provided bike parking consultation services resulting in over 350 bikes parked in commercial and multi-tenant residential buildings.
In addition to working with BikeWalkKC’s bike parking team, Glenda freelances as a marketing consultant. You may see her out on her road bike with Cycling KC or on her Brompton folding bike.
We are very proud of our bike parking team and proud of the work we’ve done so far. And we’re just getting started. Do you know a place or business that could use bicycle parking? Give us a shout; we’d love to help!