Nice Ride Minneapolis Bike Share Expanding to North Side

MINNEAPOLIS - Nice Rice, the bike sharing program in Minneapolis, is expanding to the city’s north side through the use of $228,500 in federal stimulus funds.

The expanded system will connect north Minneapolis neighborhoods with downtown, Uptown and other parts of the city that currently have the Nice Ride system in place.

’Minneapolis is the number one biking city in the nation, and with the help of the Obama administration and the Recovery Act, we’re building on that distinction,’ said Mayor R.T. Rybak. ’By expanding what is already the largest bike-sharing program in the country, we’re offering the residents of north Minneapolis a great opportunity to get out of their cars, get some exercise, green the neighborhood and connect to our city’s fast-growing bicycling community.’

The funding will be used to conduct a community engagement process with north Minneapolis residents, business owners and key stakeholders, and identify locations and purchase equipment to bring at least five new Nice Ride Minnesota kiosks to the north side.

’We want folks to be part of livable communities and lead healthy lives,’ said Council Member Don Samuels. ’There are significant health disparities in north Minneapolis and through bike sharing we’re helping provide increased transportation options and giving people the opportunity to make healthy choices.’

Nice Ride launched June 10, with bike stations concentrated near downtown, Uptown and the University of Minnesota. About 700 hundred bikes are stationed around the city, and for $5 a day you can pick up a bike at one station and drop it off in another.

Last month, Minneapolis recorded its 50,000th Nice Ride bike ride.

For more information on Nice Ride Minnesota, including a map of kiosk locations, go to www.niceridemn.org .