The news

Starting September 2018, about 1,500 new bikes will be added to Nice Ride's existing bikeshare fleet in Minneapolis. The new bikes will be equipped with GPS and mobile-friendly technology that won't require them to be returned to the stations like we’re used to.

Instead, they will be returned to designated parking zones that will need much less equipment and maintenance. The new bikes will include a locking mechanism that will allow them to be left at (and rented from) hundreds of other designated parking zones in the city - as well as the other two hundred stations in our current system. This should eventually allow Nice Ride to expand its service area to cover the entire city limits of Minneapolis.

Simply by using a cell phone you'll be able to find, unlock, and start and end your trip - from hundreds of designated parking zones in the city (in addition to some of the existing stations you're using now).

To deploy the new system and ensure that the parking locations use sidewalks and other public spaces in accordance with City of Minneapolis regulations, Nice Ride is working with Community Design Group to develop and design:

1. Policy goals and principles for distributing the new parking stations throughout the city,
2. A process for receiving requests and suggestions for new parking station locations,
3. A streamlined process for developing the individual site plans required for the installation of new parking station, and
4. A consistent, user-friendly design that lets users easily find a parking zone and provides guidance on how to properly park a bike within it to minimize potential issues with other users of sidewalks and the city's public space

Where you fit in

We need your help to plan and implement the new system. Use this website to contribute your ideas, learn about what we've done so far, and find out about next steps for the project.

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What we're working on

• Capitalizing on the opportunity provided by this new technology to proactively increase equitable distribution and access to bikeshare
• Developing a set of cost-effective, useful and inexpensive designs for the hundreds of new parking zones
• Planning the distribution and locations for these new parking zones
• Developing a process for efficiently new site plans required for the new parking zones

What we've done so far

 We kicked off this work with a community forum on April 25 at Day Block Brewing. The forum was very well attended, with about fifty people stopping in and participating. We received literally hundreds of ideas and comments for implementing next steps for the system. We are working from these ideas and others brought forward by partners for developing our approach.

You can learn more about the forum here >