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| Nice Ride Kiosk in North Loop. Photo by John Hoff |
Public officials and northside cycle enthusiasts even sat down with the Nice Ride proprietors and found a way to get a northside kiosk opened at UROC. There's even a video featuring one of the first rides from the UROC kiosk...
Now, Nomi folks can look forward to five new Nice Ride bike kiosks opening around the rest of the northside, although at this time, I don't believe the locations have been determined. It sounds like part of the funding will be used to engage the Northside community and determine the best locations for the future kiosks.
A city council vote that took place yesterday helped distribute some federal stimulus money to help fund the expansion of the bike sharing program. Another giant step forward in the revitalization of NoMi!
14 comments:
What a scam for the taxpayers. When you wonder why you have no money for police, fire, street repairs look to your bike kiosks. Yes I know this was federal money however there is always an opportunity cost. Money for bikes means less subsidy to cities which go to valid services a city should provide.
A pertinent excerpt from Steve Brandt's Strib article:
Authorized a contract with Nice Ride Minnesota for $228,500 to further expand the new bike-sharing program on the North Side next year.
The money will add rental kiosks with a total of at least 65 bikes at five North Side locations to be determined. The money is coming from federal stimulus money and is part of an effort to boost the program's outreach to lower-income parts of the city. A sixth North Side kiosk will be funded by a separate federal grant.
Under the stimulus grant, a community outreach process will explore barriers to using the rental bikes, such as lack of access to credit cards among certain populations.
At a community meeting on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at 2001 Plymouth Av. N., Nice Ride is seeking advice on where it should expand kiosks. The system has recorded about 57,000 bike rentals since being launched June 10.
If I had to pick 5 locations in NoMi that would help build out bike accessibility within NoMi tie into established locations in downtown, I'd go with:
1. Bryn Mawr
2. Good Sports
3. Cub
4. Penn & Glenwood
5. Broadway & Penn
The bikes work best if they can help you get to another kiosk. Spots like the ones I've mentioned should tie nicely to the existing stops at Penn & Plymouth, Summit Academy, and IMS.
Any other ideas on spots worth considering?
Would be nice to have a kiosk somewhere near the 42nd Ave Station on Lyndale/42nd or somewhere down this way. Near Victory Memorial Parkway.
Councilman Don Samuels and I were just talking about this, dreaming about where the kiosks might be best situated. I thought Penn and 44th sounds like a good area as well as the 42/Lyndale area, then perhaps Hawthorne Crossings area (which is WBro and Dupont) and perhaps Penn/Glenwood and yes, maybe Good Sports Bar area for another one.
I had to keep reminding myself this is only phase 2 and certainly more can be filled in later.
I would like to see stations at the following locations as well.
1: BJ's
2: 26th And Penn
3: Fire And Ice
4: Hawthorne Crossing
5: BLO
I think these locations server the community well. Many who live in the area frequent these places and should be entitled to transportation that is heart healthy and good for the environment.
Thanks, Mr. Faux Revitalizer voice, for that list of where NOT to put the bike stations.
i don't know what the plans are for Northeast, but i think one of the best things the kiosks could do would be to increase commerce between the Northside and Northeast (so close and yet so far!)--if the kiosks are coordinated on either side of one one or more of the bridges, for instance, so it is easy to get to Central Ave. shops like Holy Land Bakery (@ Lowry & Central) and the NE arts district. so, maybe Lowry/Penn (on the Northside) and Lowry/Central (in Northeast).
i think connecting to a bicycle-friendly neighborhood like NE is a good way to ensure that Northside kiosks are well-used, and help re-integrate us with the rest of the city.
I believe that two smaller sized kiosks be put, as suggested by Ed Kohler, on the southwest corner of Penn and Glenwood and another one on Penn avenue and Cedar Lake road. This will suffice both neighborhoods and would be great spots. As for anon 2:17, i guess i fail to understand how you come up with them robbing Peter to pay Paul theory.I would have to see statistical facts to back up why a great social mobility program should be chastised.The area up near 44th and Penn also sounds good.I would guess that either way, Penn avenue seems to be in the mix. Good Evening.
Too often, North Mpls is thought of only that area south of Broadway. But we have a lot more ground to cover and I like the idea of 44th & Penn, 42nd & Lyndale and perhaps North Mississippi Regional Park for nice trail access (once 26th is cleared to connect to the rest of the city).
This is a start, but I want to see a City-government operated bicycle repair and sales shop in NoMi. Bicycle repairs could be free for residents of NoMi, and bicycles could be sold at a discount or given away free with stimulus dollars. This would do a lot toward lessening NoMi's carbon footprint and expanding the green economy.
Patrick may be a troll but there's nothing wrong with putting bike kiosks at those places. There should be kiosks all over NoMi, even if some of the places aren't currently desirable.
If more revitalizers started moving in and frequenting those places we could take them over too, like we've already taken over a lot of places.
Regarding the Lyndale & 42nd or so locations, I think that's a great location for a kiosk. However, the system seems to work best when it achieves two things:
1. Has other locations that are easily reachable from the one you're at.
2. Has locations that may be walkable from the one you're at in cases where a kiosk is either out of bikes (to pick up) or completely full of bikes (can't drop it off).
Because of this, I'd lean toward a roll out into North (and Northeast, which has a lot of under served Nice Ride areas as well, with those two factors in mind.
Lowry & Penn. Easy enough to go down Penn to the next station (Maybe on Broadway?), or to hop the Lowry bridge (once completed!) to NE. Also, it's great access to the Parkway!
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