Category Archives: General

Big news for bike share!

Bike Share KC

New name, same great service

Bike Share KC was formerly known as RideKC Bike, but we're still the same people and still the same organization committed to excellent bike share service providing transportation to the Kansas City Metro. Thanks for following along!

Questions? Send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com

New hubs for Ivanhoe and Pendleton Heights neighborhoods!

New hubs!

We opened two new bike share hubs in November: one at Nutter Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center at 37th and Woodland, and one at the entrance to Maple Park on Lexington Avenue in Pendleton Heights. Here's what the neighborhood leaders said:

“In the community I serve, accessible and affordable transportation options can be a challenge for many individuals and their families. We are ecstatic to offer an additional resource onsite at our campus that addresses a key need for our community members....” - Alana Henry, Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council Executive Director

“Pendleton Heights is really excited to welcome the new Maple Park Bike Share Hub. This project will provide additional mobility access to our neighbors, encourage residents to enjoy the urban oasis of Cliff Drive, allow for joyful rides to KC Current matches, and bring positive programming to our parks....” - Jonathan Cokely, Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association President

BONUS! 🌟 The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council is also our newest Bike Share for All program partner, and can now offer subsidized bike share memberships for the community!

Bike Share KC en español

¡Telemundo KC presentó nuestra nueva aplicación para compartir bicicletas en español! Gracias al miembro del Consejo de KCMO, Crispin Rea Jr., por invitarnos a eventos locales para mostrar la aplicación a los miembros de la comunidad, y gracias a Better Bike Share Partnership que financió este proyecto para crear la versión de la aplicación en español.

Telemundo KC introduced our new bike-sharing app in Spanish! Thanks to KCMO Council Member Crispin Rea Jr. for inviting us to local events to showcase the app to community members, and thanks to Better Bike Share Partnership for funding this project to create the Spanish version of the app.

Kansas bike share fleets in hibernation from December 1-March 1

Hibernation season

All Lenexa and Aspiria bikes, and a portion of the Kansas City, KS fleet will be out of service starting December 1. Each winter, the bikes in these fleets get a full tune-up over the winter months to prepare them for the busy spring biking season. In accordance with Bike Share KC’s agreements with our partners, the fleets will be hibernating from December until March. Bikes in the KCMO and North Kansas City fleets get their full tune-ups throughout the year.

If you are a Bike Share KC member, your membership works in all of our systems. Use the app to find bikes in KCMO, KCK, and North Kansas City all year round!

Take our survey!

SURVEY CLOSED 12/31/25 Thank you!

Take the survey and enter to win a FREE Bike Share KC Annual Membership ($149 value)*

It has been an incredible year for Bike Share KC, Kansas City's non-profit/public bike share service, and we want to hear your opinions. Whether you rode with us a lot, a little, or even not at all, we value your feedback!

*If you're already an annual member (thank you!), your next annual membership will be free. No refunds on a membership you've already purchased, and no trading in the membership for cash.

📣 Stay in touch!

Did you know our local team works seven days a week to keep Kansas City rolling? Send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com and Eric, Christian, Paige, Soshi, Shelly, Michelle, Chuong, Jeff, or Adam will get back with you.

Subscribers heard this news first! Click here to sign up for our Bike Share mailing list

Clearing off the bike share van on a snowy day.

Take the Bike Share KC survey by December 31!

Click here to take the 2025 Bike Share KC survey

Take the Bike Share KC survey! Whether you rode with us a lot, a little, or not at all this year, we want to hear from you. Your feedback will help us plan for the future and fine-tune our processes to offer you even better service. Survey closes at midnight on December 31, 2025.

BONUS: When you complete the survey and share your contact information, you are entered to win a free annual Bike Share KC membership ($149 value)! If you’re already an annual member (thank you!), your next annual membership will be free. No refunds on a membership you’ve already purchased, and no trading in the membership for cash.

Questions? Email us at info@ridekcbike.com

Kansas bike share fleets in hibernation from December 1-March 1

Hibernation for Kansas bike share fleets

All Lenexa and Aspiria bikes, and a portion of the Kansas City, KS fleet will be out of service starting December 1. Each winter, the bikes in these fleets get a full tune-up over the winter months to prepare them for the busy spring biking season. In accordance with Bike Share KC’s agreements with our partners, the fleets will be hibernating from December until March. Bikes in the KCMO and North Kansas City fleets get their full tune-ups throughout the year.

If you are a Bike Share KC member, your membership works in all of our systems. Use the app to find bikes in KCMO, KCK, and North Kansas City all year round!

 

📪 Questions? Email our customer service team at info@ridekcbike.com.

Free parking tips for bike share riders

Riders in Kansas City, MO, North Kansas City, MO, and Kansas City, KS may park and end their trips for FREE at any designated bike share hub (find them on the app). For a $2 out-of-hub convenience fee, you may also park at any public bike rack, or even to a street sign, as long as you're not blocking sidewalks, stairs, handrails, or transit stops. 

But what if your destination doesn’t have a bike share hub? You can still avoid the convenience fee if you follow these tips:

End your trip at a parking-only hub

Using rider data and guidance from our municipal partners, we activated existing bike racks in areas where people were already looking for bike parking. You can end your trip for FREE at these parking-only hubs! Click here for a list of parking only hubs (or you can find them on the app).

Leave the meter running

Just popping out for an errand? Locking your bike without ending your trip might help you avoid the convenience fee!

  • If you are a 30-day, 90-day, or annual member, you get 80 minutes of free ride time per day. That could be 80 minutes of riding around town, or it could be 20 minutes of riding to the grocery store, 40 leaving the meter running while you shop, and another 20 minutes of riding back to your original hub.
  • If you purchase an Explorer Pass, you get unlimited trips of up to 4 hours at a time. So if you bike 15 minutes to meet a friend for lunch, you can spend more than 3 hours gossiping over your burnt ends sandwich before pedaling to the next hub to end your trip.

Even walk-up riders can game the system! Walk-up rides cost 25 cents/minute, so you can lock up your bike and leave the meter running for up to 7 minutes for less than the cost of an out-of-hub convenience fee. That’s plenty of time to pick up your to-go order.

Note: Even members and Explorer Pass riders will be charged 25 cents per minute if they ride longer than 80 minutes a day (or 4 hours at a time for Explorer Pass). Double-check your math and keep an eye on your watch when you leave the meter running! Click here to learn more about memberships and passes.

Become a Bike Wrangler

Wranglers are monthly members who earn extra ride time and even monthly memberships by returning “stray” share bikes to our hubs. These special members aren’t exempt from the out-of-hub fee, but free monthly memberships and all those extra minutes might take the sting out of an occasional $2 charge. Click here to learn more about the Bike Wrangler program.

More about bike share parking 

These tips for out-of-hub parking are specifically for riders in KCMO, North Kansas City, and KCK. Riders in Lenexa may only end trips at designated bike share hubs, and riders on the Aspiria Campus may only end trips on the Aspiria Campus.

Wherever you end your bike share trip, use the cable and wheel lock to secure the bike, then follow instructions on the app to end your trip. Proper parking and locking helps prevent theft and vandalism of bikes and ensures that more bikes are available when you are ready to ride. If you leave a bike unlocked or parked improperly, you may incur additional charges. Click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about fees and fines.

Have more questions? We want to help! Email us at info@ridekcbike.com.

 

New parking-only hubs offer more spots to lock up your bike

Need a place to park your share bike? Now you have more options! In addition to the existing hubs our riders are already using, you can now end your bike share trip at new "parking-only hubs." With guidance from user data and our municipal partners, we activated existing bike racks as parking-only hubs for your convenience. These bike racks won't be stocked with bikes like our regular hubs, but you can lock up your bike and end your trip without incurring an out-of-hub fee. 

Here’s a list of the new parking-only hubs (you can also find them on the app): 

Kansas City, Missouri

  • 18th and Prospect - silver rack at the northbound Prospect MAX stop (please do not lock up to bus stop signs, hand railings, or anything except the bike rack)
  • 19th and Baltimore - green "U" racks on the street
  • 36th and Broadway - blue bike racks in front of the yoga studio
  • Central Library - racks near the accessible entrance just east of the main library doors
  • Gregg/Klice Community Center - racks near the building entrance
  • Linwood YMCA - racks near the building entrance
  • Mary Williams-Neal Community Center - racks near the building entrance
  • Tony Aguirre Community Center - black bike racks to the right of the building entrance
  • Westport Sunfresh - green "U" racks between Sunfresh and Sherwin Williams

North Kansas City, Missouri

  • Big Rip Brewing - racks in the parking lot near the patio door
  • 31st and Howell - racks at the northwest end of Macken Park

Kansas City, Kansas

  • The Merc - racks near the front door on Minnesota Ave.
  • Neighborhood Resource Center - black pipe bike rack at the entrance of the parking lot
  • Holy Family Park - racks at the corner of Ohio Ave. and Orchard St.

Using the app to find parking hubs

You can use the app to find free bike share parking, even if there are currently no bikes in the hub. Here's what the map symbols mean:
🧡 Orange with a bike and dots - There is one bike at this location, and the number of dots indicates the battery level.
🧡 Orange with a number - There are multiple bikes at this hub, and if you tap the number, you can see the battery levels for each bike.
🩶 Grey with a P - There are currently no bikes at this hub, but if you're out riding, you can park here for FREE!

Riders in Kansas City, MO, North Kansas City, MO, and Kansas City, KS may park and end their trips for FREE at any designated bike share hub or any parking-only hub. For a $2 fee, you may also park at any public bike rack, or even to a street sign, as long as you're not blocking sidewalks, stairs, handrails, or transit stops. This parking policy helps prevent theft and vandalism of bikes and ensures that more bikes are available when you are ready to ride.

Note: Riders in Lenexa may only end their trips at designated bike share hubs, and riders on the Aspiria Campus may only end trips on the Aspiria Campus.

Need more information? 

We want to help you avoid the out-of-hub convenience fee! Read our Free Parking Tips for Bike Share Riders, check out our Frequently Asked Questions, send us a message on the app, or email us at info@ridekcbike.com. Our local operations staff is on the job seven days a week, and we are happy to help!

May is Bike Month! 30% off Annual RideKC Bike Memberships with code BIKEMONTH23

Bike Month Special: 30% off Annual Memberships

This offer is no longer available. Thanks for celebrating Bike Month with us!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May is Bike Month! To celebrate, RideKC Bike is offering steep discounts on our Annual Memberships. RideKC Bike Annual Members get 80 minutes of free ride time every day with no unlock fees!

How to get 30% off an Annual RKCB Membership:

1. Download the RideKC Bike app from your Apple or Google app store and create an account.

2. Redeem the BIKEMONTH25 code in "Coupons and Credits" before you select pricing and membership. Redeeming the code will automatically select an Annual Membership and activate the 30% discount.

3. Confirm your purchase and enjoy your ride!

This offer is valid May 1-31 and is good for new and renewing members only. It does not apply to current members. Ride time beyond the 80 free minutes per day costs 25 cents per minute. Users may incur an extra fee for parking a bike without ending their trip or using the cable lock, or for parking a bike in a manner that blocks an access point.

Need more details? Read our Ride With Us guide or send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com.

RideKC Bike hub near the dam at Shawnee Mission Park

RideKC Bike addresses news story regarding the Johnson County Park & Recreation District’s decision to discontinue the RideKC Bike program at local parks

RideKC Bike sent an email to the editor of the Johnson County Post in response to Roxie Hammill’s article “Johnson County park district will end bike rental program” that ran on January 27, 2025. RideKC Bike was not interviewed for the story and there are a number of inaccuracies and omissions that we feel need to be addressed. Below is a copy of our correspondence to Kyle Palmer, editor of the Johnson County Post. 

------------------------------------

Hello Kyle,

I am writing about Roxie Hammill’s January 27 story, “Johnson County park district will end bike rental program.” I am disappointed that the story ran without any attempt to reach BikeWalkKC or our RideKC Bike program for background information, context, or a statement. There are a number of inaccuracies and omissions that we feel need to be addressed. They include:

Contract cancellation.

The Johnson County Park & Recreation District (JCPRD)  board did not cancel the contract. The contract reached its predetermined end date and the board chose not to renew it. 

Electric bikes (E-bikes).

The news story is correct that the program used non-electric bikes. This was JCPRD’s choice. When the program started, RideKC Bike was already in the process of converting our bikes to an all-electric fleet. We advised JCPRD that the primary bike vendors who supply bikes to bike share programs were phasing out traditional pedal bikes and would soon only offer and support e-bikes. However, JCPRD made the choice to use non-electric bikes. 

Financial loss.

It is highly incorrect to say that the project lost $300,000. JCPRD knew exactly how much the program was going to cost and agreed to provide the funding. It was never expected to “break even.” The reality is that JCPRD decided to stop funding the program. That is certainly their decision to make.

What the general public may not know is that most bike share systems are offered as an amenity to the public, with customer rental fees covering only a fraction of the actual cost. These programs almost always rely on the annual appropriation of public funds to fully support the operation and maintenance. JCPRD’s decision to stop funding the bike program should not be misconstrued as a failure of the program to produce revenue. 

Program funding alternatives.

While the overall program costs mentioned in the article are accurate, the story failed to include the fact that RideKC Bike made several attempts to help JCPRD staff find alternative funding sources in order to upgrade the fleet to e-bikes and to continue the program. We shared information about three federal grant cycles that were available to them over the last five years. These grants would have covered 80% of the cost to purchase equipment. On one occasion, our staff helped JCPRD staff in writing a funding application, but for reasons not shared with us, JCPRD staff opted to not submit it.  

Customer satisfaction.

RideKC Bike conducts annual satisfaction surveys of its RideKC Bike customers. For customers of the JCPRD bikes, their satisfaction was consistently above 90%. RideKC Bike received many requests for bikes at additional locations as well as requests for electric bikes. Riders gave 4+ stars on 91% of their trips, and 92% of respondents said they were “likely” or “very likely” to recommend the service. No mention of how the public used or viewed the program was included in the news story.

Thank you for the opportunity to shed additional light and details on the JCPRD’s decision to stop funding the RideKC Bike program. We know the program was much loved and used by residents. Unfortunately, this news story has generated much unnecessary confusion among the multiple regional municipalities that are a part of BikeWalkKC's RideKC Bike program and among the general public. My staff and I would appreciate a follow-up article on this story to help clear up some of the confusion and questions the public and other RideKC Bike program participants may have. 

Sincerely,

Eric Rogers, Executive Director
BikeWalkKC and RideKC Bike

------------------------------------

We know many patrons will miss having the bikes in Johnson County parks in 2025. There are other locations throughout the Greater Kansas City region where you can access RideKC Bikes, such as Lenexa, Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO, The City of North Kansas City, and the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park. Download and use the RideKC Bike app from Google Play or the Apple Store for exact locations.  

Take action

If the loss of bike share in county parks concerns or impacts you, please take a couple minutes to send an email to the County Commission.

Take the RideKC Bike Survey

Take the RideKC Bike survey by December 31!

Thank you for your feedback! The 2024 RideKC Bike survey is now closed.

Take the RideKC Bike survey! Whether you rode with us a lot, a little, or not at all this year, we want to hear from you. Your feedback will help us plan for the future and fine-tune our processes to offer you even better service. Survey closes at midnight on December 31, 2024.

BONUS: When you complete the survey and share your contact information, you are entered to win a free annual RideKC Bike membership ($149 value)! If you're already an annual member (thank you!), your next annual membership will be free. No refunds on a membership you've already purchased, and no trading in the membership for cash.

Hibernation for Kansas RideKC Bike fleets

All Lenexa and Aspiria bikes, and a portion of the Kansas City, KS fleet will be out of service starting December 1. Each year, the bikes in these fleets get a full tune-up over the winter months to prepare them for the busy spring biking season. In accordance with RideKC Bike's agreements with our partners, the fleets will be hibernating from December until March.

If you are a RideKC Bike member, your membership works in all of our systems. Use the RideKC Bike app to find bikes in KCMO, KCK, and North Kansas City all year round!

📪 Questions? Email our customer service team at info@ridekcbike.com.

Update 1/29/25: Johnson County Park & Recreation District chose to end their contract with RideKC Bike, and therefore RideKC Bike will not be returning to any of bike share hubs in JCPRD parks this spring. Lenexa parks, the Aspiria campus, and Kansas City, KS parks will not be affected. Read more about this change on our blog.

Coming in 2025: New year, new updates

In 2019, RideKC Bike upgraded our system with new smart, lock-to e-bikes. For the past five years, we have collected and analyzed data from the system, talked to our peer programs in other communities, and listened to our riders’ questions and comments. 

We saw a common theme in our research: it’s time to make improvements and efficiencies that preserve flexibility and value for our riders.

“Love the service, need more bikes”
“There’s never enough bikes at my hub”
“Please put more bikes at Armour and Main”
“Not enough full charged bikes in Country Club Plaza”

We agree! So in addition to the new bikes and high-capacity batteries we added this summer, RideKC Bike will roll out the following updates on January 1, 2025:

New RideKC Bike Wrangler Program gives people an opportunity to earn free access to bike share! 

Monthly RideKC Bike Members automatically get their next month’s membership for FREE when they return 20 or more out-of-hub bikes in a calendar month back to designated hubs.

Out-of-Hub Parking Convenience Fee

Users will still have the option to park outside of the hubs designated on the RideKC Bike app, but they will be charged a $2 out-of-hub convenience fee. Bikes parked at designated hubs are less likely to be vandalized or stolen, and more bikes at hubs means more users can reliably find a bike when they need it. We hope this new policy will encourage more people to return their bikes to hubs, which in turn means less time RideKC Bike staff must spend recovering unlocked bikes and stocking hubs. Click here to see our tips for avoiding the convenience fee!

Per-minute rate updates 

Classic pedal bike per-minute rate will increase from 10 cents to 15 cents per minute.

Electric bike per-minute rate will increase from 15 cents to 25 cents per minute.

FAQs

I’m already a Member, how will I be affected? 

Membership and Explorer Pass rates are not changing. The new per-minute rate will only apply if you have overage time beyond your Membership minutes. If parking outside of a designated RideKC Bike Hub, there will be a $2 convenience fee. 

How do I know where designated RideKC Bike Hubs are located? 

The RideKC Bike app displays all available locations. They are often (but not always) a royal blue bike rack. Click here to see a list of our new parking-only hubs!

How do I enroll in the Bike Wrangler Program to earn free access?

Yeehaw! Anyone with a RideKC Bike Monthly Membership will be eligible to become a Bike Wrangler. Earn one Return-to-Hub point for each stray RideKC Bike you corral and lock up at a designated hub. Once you have earned 10 Return-to-Hub Points you automatically become a Bike Wrangler!

By earning 20 Return-to-Hub Points in a calendar month, a Bike Wrangler qualifies for a free Monthly Membership that is redeemable for the subsequent month. Click here for more details about the Bike Wrangler Program.

How will these changes benefit RideKC Bike Annual or Monthly Members?

Together these updates will improve service, ensuring that more bikes are ready to ride when you are. 

The new Bike Wrangler program will allow Monthly Members the opportunity to earn free access to bike share by simply returning bikes to designated hubs. 

The out-of-hub convenience fee will help ensure that more bikes are readily available, and reduce instances of theft or vandalism. 

Will these changes apply everywhere in the Kansas City Metro?

The Bike Wrangler program will be available to any RideKC Bike Monthly Members.

The out-of-hub convenience fee is subject to all areas of the system, except for the Aspiria Campus and Lenexa where ending a trip has always been restricted to only designated hubs. 

The per-minute rate updates apply to all areas of the Kansas City Metro. 

 

Need more information? Click here to find the rest of our Frequently Asked Questions.

These updates go into effect January 1, 2025.

If you’ve taken our annual surveys, contacted our customer service team, emailed, or sent a message on social media, THANK YOU for helping improve bike share in the Kansas City region! We are confident that these updates will get more people biking more often, and when it comes down to it, that’s really why we’re here.

Please send us an email at info@ridekcbike.com if you have any questions.