Could bicycles be a low-income commuting option for Midtown?

bcycle Bike sharing stations are popping up across the country, and they’ll soon be coming to Midtown. But  how can we ensure they are located so they are the most useful to people who need access to affordable transportation?

Neighborhoods are rated for their walkability, but more and more often new residents are also looking into bikeability in a new location.

In addition to being an alternative to cars, bikes are increasingly being looked at as a low-income means of transportation for hose who can’t afford cars. NPR recently ran a story about bike sharing as part of its Commuting in America series. It found that the new bike sharing stations springing up across the country are supposed to make commuting easier, greener and cheaper, but people who need the bikes the most are often the least likely to access them. Read the full story

BikeWalk KC and the Midtown KC Post are working together to gather community input about where bike sharing stations could best be located in Midtown. We’re asking neighborhoods, businesses and individuals to tell us where in their neighborhood they would like the stations to be located.

So far, the most interest has been in stations in Valentine on Broadway, followed by  Southmoreland, Roanoke, South Hyde Park and Volker. But we still need more input, and here are three easy ways to weigh in:

  • Join the Mindmixer conversation about where you’d like to see bikeshare stations in Midtown, Columbus Park and the Westside. There’s a simple clickable map so all you have to do is click where you’d like to see a station.
  • Take our quick survey about where you’d like to see bike stations in Midtown. The link is on the right-hand side of this page.
  • Check out the conversation on Mindmixer about the opportunities, challenges and barriers for Kansas City B-cycle to be an accessible, equitable transportation mode for Kansas City’s low-income and under-resourced populations.

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