The document discusses the history and initial planning of the Twin Cities Bike Share program. It outlines Minneapolis' investments in bicycling infrastructure in 2010 and the formation of Nice Ride Minnesota in 2008. The initial Phase I planning involved distributing 1,000 bicycles based on density data and station siting focused on downtown, Uptown and the University area to maximize convenience and reliability. Public workshops were held to gather input on station locations.

1. Twin Cities Bike Share

3. Minneapolis 2010:
• America’s #1 Bicycling City
(Bicycling Magazine)
• Launch of the Downtown Improvement
District (DID)
• Newly operational commuter rail service
(Northstar)
• Expansion of light-rail (LRT) service
• Miles of new bike lanes
• Reconstruction of 2nd and Marquette
Avenue(s) as bus transit-ways
• Conversion of 1st Avenue North and
Hennepin Avenue to two-way traffic with
newly introduced bike lanes
• Target Field

4. The introduction of the public
bike fleet expands the service
area of buses and trains and
provides combined solutions to
trips requiring more than one
Minneapolis 2010: mode of transportation
• America’s #1 Bicycling City
(Bicycling Magazine)
• Launch of the Downtown Improvement
District (DID)
• Newly operational commuter rail service
(Northstar)
• Expansion of light-rail (LRT) service
• Miles of new bike lanes
• Reconstruction of 2nd and Marquette
Avenue(s) as bus transit-ways
• Conversion of 1st Avenue North and
Hennepin Avenue to two-way traffic with
newly introduced bike lanes
• Target Field

6. Nice Ride History:
• July of 2008,the formation of Nice Ride
Minnesota began through an initiative from
Minneapolis Mayor, R.T. Rybak and the
City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation
• Evaluation of similar European and
Canadian bike sharing systems
• Agreement upon a non-profit business
plan, search for public and private funding
• Spring 2009, Nice Ride hires Alta
Planning + Design to prepare a report and
recommendations for Phase I

8. Phase I Planning:
• Demographic GIS data evaluated
- Residential Density
- Employment Density
- University Student Populations
- Transit Boarding Data
• 1,000 Bicycles were distributed
throughout the service area based on
the analysis of these data sets

9. Distribution maps were produced for
both daytime populations of the
service area (Fig. 1), which takes into
account the business population of
downtown and the student population
of the University of Minnesota,
and evening populations (Fig. 2),
based primarily on residential
populations.
Phase I Planning:
• Demographic GIS data evaluated
- Residential Density
- Employment Density
- University Student Populations
- Transit Boarding Data
• 1,000 Bicycles were distributed
These distribution maps were then throughout the service area based on
averaged (Fig. 3). the analysis of these data sets

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15. Station Siting:
• Initial focus on the central Core of
Minneapolis (Downtown, Uptown,
University)
• Proximity was stressed, with an effort to
locate stations within 1,000 feet of one
another
• Public workshops were conducted for
the local biking community and stake
holders in each neighborhood in an effort
to acquire additional first-hand information
regarding biking opportunities and
constraints in the area.
• Site reconnaissance was conducted
throughout the study area to find locations
within the right-of-way, or on properties of
cooperating organizations that could
accommodate the physical dimensions of
the kiosk and docks.

16. Station Siting:
• Initial focus on the central Core of
Minneapolis (Downtown, Uptown,
University)
• Proximity was stressed, with an effort to
locate stations within 1,000 feet of one
another
• Public workshops were conducted for
the local biking community and stake
holders in each neighborhood in an effort
to acquire additional first-hand information
regarding biking opportunities and The success of previous bike share systems
constraints in the area. has depended much upon creating a critical
• Site reconnaissance was conducted mass and taking advantage of the
throughout the study area to find locations economies of scale. In order for people to
within the right-of-way, or on properties of accept biking as a viable transportation
cooperating organizations that could option, the system must be made as
accommodate the physical dimensions of convenient and reliable as possible; with a
the kiosk and docks. confidence instilled in the subscribers that
they will be able to find a bicycle when they
want one.

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18. • Solar Powered
• WiFi Controlled
• Radio Frequency Indicator (RFID) Tags on Bicycles
- (Allows bikes to be tracked and usage patterns to
be analyzed to improve efficiency)

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• At least 100 candidate locations were reviewed, photographed and measured. This list of candidate locations was reduced
to 75 priority locations.

20. 7) Southeast Library
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1222 4th Street SE
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Aerial View / Context
Site Photo / Kiosk Footprint
Site Plan Property Owner: City of Minneapolis
Notes: • Align front of platform with retaining wall
Adjacent Property: Southeast Library, 1222 4th St. SE Prototype Style: Linear, Off-Street
Site Advantages: central Dinkytown location Platforms: 4
Potential Sponsors: Erik’s Bike Shop, Varsity Bike Shop Docks: 15
Minneapolis Bike Share Program Date: June 29, 2009

22. Launch:
• Nice Ride MN hit the streets on
Thursday, June 10, 2010
•65 kiosks and 700 bikes
•First major public bike fleet in the U.S.

23. Launch:
• Nice Ride MN hit the streets on
Thursday, June 10, 2010
“Every major city in the U.S. has been
•65 kiosks and 700 bikes watching our first year to see how bike share
would be accepted. Now those cities,
•First major public bike fleet in the U.S. including New York, Boston, Chicago, and
San Francisco, are moving forward with
major bike share plans of their own, citing
our success. We are proud of that.”
- Bill Dossett
Executive Director

25. Year One Success:
• 100,817 total trips taken
• Only two bikes lost (one of which was
later recovered due to RFID tag
• Three reports of vandalism
• One reported crash, though no injuries
were reported from this or any other
incident

26. • The system has
not only been
effective at
generating ridership,
it is also helping to
decrease automobile
traffic and lessen the
environmental
impact of driving a
car. According to the
results of a question
given in Nice Ride’s
end of year survey
concerning their
most recent Nice
Ride trip, almost
20% of respondents
would have chosen
to drive a car in lieu
biking.

28. Phase II: 2011
• 130 new stations planned
• $5.8 million expansion
• 51 new stations installed, (500 Bikes)
(8 committed to North Minneapolis)
• Became nation’s largest bike sharing
system
• Expansion to St. Paul
• Over 200,000 trips taken in 2011
(doubles 2010 total)
• Double subscriber base

29. MAP 1 - DRAFT 12/16/10
Recommended Locations for Phase 2 System Kiosks
Please note: Nice Ride Phase 2 locations shown on this map are
for preliminary system sizing and scoping purposes only
Nice Ride Minnesota – Phase 2 Planning Report (12/16/10) | 3

30. Bike Share Across America:
• Capital Bike Share (Washington DC)
• Hubway (Boston)
• B-Cycle (Denver, Madison, Chicago, etc.)
• NYC RFP (10,000 bikes, 600 stations)
-Alta Bike Share

31. This intense interest from the public at large
supports the many efforts of planners,
landscape architects and people of vision all
across the nation concerned with creating
walkable, bikeable, vibrant cities that
celebrate the quality and diversity of their
streetlife and promote active lifestyles among
their inhabitants.
Bike Share Across America:
• Capital Bike Share (Washington DC)
• Hubway (Boston)
• B-Cycle (Denver, Madison, Chicago, etc.)
• NYC RFP (10,000 bikes, 600 stations)
-Alta Bike Share