Nice Ride staff compiled the following 5-year assessment for a strategic planning session of the Board of Directors held in January 2015. In it, we have attempted to highlight key lessons learned, some from successes and some from mistakes. We also asked our partners to comment on Nice Ride, our impact, and what we can do better. From our perspective, we see in front of us a world of opportunity to build healthier and more vibrant cities and towns. We hope this history will help others seize those opportunities too.

The final section is a summary of strategic direction. This section is currently in draft, to be finalized following the Annual Meeting of the Board in April.

Bill Dossett Executive Director Nice Ride Minnesota

To enhance the quality of our urban life by providing a convenient, easy-to-use bike sharing program that will provide residents and visitors a healthy, fun, different way to get around town.

We see a bike sharing program that will permanently change the way people experience and perceive our city, as well as the Nice Ride will show that the More efficient movement way they experience and perceive benefits of alternative from place to place transportation. transportation are many and More opportunities for lasting. For our residents those healthy physical activity Nice Ride will create a more benefits will include: More interesting personal vibrant city, a place where people Avoiding vehicular experiences interacting with want to work, live and play. Nice congestion the city Ride will stand as a working Reducing our carbon A growing affinity to make example of how our state and footprint other changes in all modes cities create programs that meet Less dependence on fossil of transportation critical and shared public goals. fuels A sense of civic pride

Like yellow bike programs around the country, this first attempt ended quickly and did not inspire confidence. The Yellow Bike Coalition did, bring together Saint Paul activists who went on to introduce thousands to active transportation through a grassroots initiative now called Cycles for Change.

Fortunately, not all bike share programs are alike. Third-generation systems like Paris’s Vélib addressed first-generation Nice Ride began with a motivated mayor, a problems through the same RFID and million-dollar promise, and a public-funding database technology that controls process designed to make tough decisions access to office buildings. Rather than fast. locking a bike anywhere around the city, users dock bikes in automated In 2008 Mayor RT Rybak told Time Magazine kiosks where other people can find he would bring urban bike share to them and system operators can keep Minneapolis. At the time, bike share was a the bikes pedaling smoothly. When a European amenity for big cities like Paris, rider checks out a bike, the system also France. pairs their rental with their credit card Communal bicycles were not new to the number, increasing user accountability. Minneapolis metro area. In the mid-1990s, “These bikes,” Rybak thought, “would the Yellow Bike Coalition launched a first- be different.” generation bike share system in Saint Paul. Yet many community leaders Yet without a way to track bikes and charge questioned the difference between users, it was not possible to maintain a Rybak’s dream and the Yellow Bikes of reliable bike fleet or create a sustainable the 90s. With several people asking, business model.

Soon after, the City of Minneapolis contracted a pro bono basis. Mark Bixby, a physician and with the Loppet Foundation to engage the longtime member of the Loppet Foundation community and explore funding Board, and John Munger, Executive Director opportunities. The Loppet Foundation of the Loppet, provided expertise in nonprofit contracted with Dossett, a former lawyer and governance. Mark would later become chair Loppet volunteer. Tasked with preparing the of the Nice Ride Minnesota board. These nation’s first nonprofit bike share business professionals put the organization on a firm plan, soliciting sponsorship, and applying for footing to solicit a title sponsorship. federal grants, Dossett began the Twin Cities Bike Share Project (TCBSP).

TCBSP was a stakeholder group of bike advocates, transportation professionals, and bike shop owners. The group quickly came together to consider developing technologies, “Didn’t we already try this?” persuading the recommend a target service area, and identify downtown business community was a huge desired elements of a future system. TCBSP challenge. held its first meeting in a space shared by the In late summer 2009 Mayor Rybak hosted a Paddling with a friend in the June 2008, City Midtown Greenway Coalition and Freewheel meeting of business leaders at City Hall to of Lakes Tri-Loppet, Rybak had an epiphany. Midtown Bike Center. The Greenway pitch bike share to private-sector partners. A local nonprofit like the Loppet Foundation Coalition and Freewheel were eager From the very beginning, the Center for could mobilize community energy, draw on supporters of the bike share project at every Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of support from both public and private sectors, step of development. Minnesota was open to big ideas. Michael and seize opportunities better than Huber, a veteran of Blue Cross’ active living At the same time, a group of downtown government agencies and private companies programs, came to City Hall knowing more professional firms committed to assist TCBSP. alone. Rybak decided that if Minneapolis about bike share than anyone in the room. Dorsey & Whitney law firm, the Duffy & were to have a bike share company, a Huber challenged Nice Ride to create Partners design and branding firm, Roepke nonprofit model would be the key to its something big, with real potential to change Public Relations, the Roundpeg and Mono success. And Bill Dossett, the man paddling the way people think about health and marketing firms, and the Grant Thornton next to Rybak, would be the person to lead it. accounting firm all provided their services on

transportation. “Do that,” Huber said, “and toward demonstrating how a concentrated The City Council’s resolution put the TLC Blue Cross will be interested.” investment in non-motorized transportation Board in a difficult position. A panel of infrastructure and programming could quickly transportation and public policy experts, the Mayor Rybak invited Pat Geraghty, then CEO lead to a shift toward active transportation. board was committed to maximizing the of Blue Cross, to a demonstration of the To fulfill this mission, the federal government impact of the limited funds entrusted to Public Bike System Company (PBSC)’s bike gave local nonprofit, Transit for Livable them. The bike share program could be the share equipment. Geraghty examined the Communities (TLC), the authority to select “showcase project” TLC needed to change bikes and stations in development for projects for the Minnesota pilot area. public opinion about non-motorized Montreal’s Bixi program. He kicked the tires transportation, forcing officials to accelerate and looked over plans for an 80-station In December 2008 the Minneapolis City infrastructure projects delayed by red tape. system in Minneapolis. Within days, Geraghty Council applied to the NTPP for $1,750,000. committed to a $1 million title sponsorship If awarded, the City Council pledged to be contingent on Nice Ride’s ability to secure the fiscal agent for a nonprofit bike share public funding for a full-scale launch. owner/operator, that didn’t yet exist.

Years earlier, former Congressman Jim Current Mayor Betsy Hodges spoke Oberstar created the Nonmotorized loudest in support of the authorizing Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) for resolution. Though Councilperson opportunities just like this one. Most Hodges represented a ward outside the federally-funded transportation projects planned bike share service area, she saw involve major construction. They take years bike share as the leading edge of a to bring through the planning, design, and movement to create livable urban spaces. construction phases. Oberstar realized that government procedures intended for major Others on the Council were concerned construction made funding bike and about financial risk to the city if the nonprofit business proved unsustainable. pedestrian initiatives difficult. The final resolution mandated that the The NTPP made federal dollars available for City of Minneapolis could not be held pilot projects in four locations, including responsible for the bike share program’s Minneapolis and its surrounding operating costs under any circumstances, communities. NTPP funds were directed even if the nonprofit business failed.

Everyone on the TLC Board viewed bike share on NTPP funding. To receive their award, federal transportation programs, like NTPP, as a powerful tool to transform U.S. cities. Nice Ride had to collect pre-committed require a local funding match, and cities and Yet some were not convinced that station sponsorships totaling $100,000 per counties are strapped by the high costs of Minneapolis was the right U.S. city in which to year for the first three years. operations and infrastructure maintenance. start. The bike share’s business plan was By fully funding the local match and based on data from European metros very Nice Ride raised well over $100,000 for year supporting a public-private partnership to different from Minneapolis. The only local one. But the new nonprofit found few handle all operating expenses, Blue Cross precedent was the defunct Yellow Bike partners willing to commit to a three-year enabled Nice Ride to grow quickly, using a Program. If Nice Ride failed, it could be a contract in the depths of the recession. larger array of funding sources than any other Unable to gauge Nice Ride’s viability on their setback for bike share nationally and, even bike share system in the U.S. negatively impact larger cities like New York. own, TLC hired an independent consultant to Risking $1.75 million that could have been review Nice Ride’s business plan. With a used to build bike lanes or improve sidewalks favorable report, TLC removed its award through Bike Walk Twin Cities was a tough contingency and authorized Nice Ride to call. Yet the TLC Board decided to move proceed with procurement in December 2009. Less than a month later, Nice Ride forward with bike share, twice. hired staff, selected a vendor, and became an The nonprofit business plan was built around operating organization. the idea that Nice Ride would use public money and title sponsor dollars to buy Blue Cross’s commitment to match public contributions of capital dollars has been an equipment rather than take out capital loans. Once equipment was purchased, Nice Ride effective tool for Nice Ride to leverage public would cover operating costs without public investment. In comparison to the costs support. Based on data collected from other involved in developing other modes of transportation, the federal investment in bike bike shares, Nice Ride expected bike share sales revenue to cover 70%-80% of operating sharing is minute. Given the federal costs, leaving station sponsorships to account government’s goals to reduce high costs associated with urban traffic congestion and for the remaining 20%-30%. the negative health impacts of sedentary TLC put Nice Ride’s financial sustainability to lifestyles, investment in bike share is an the test right away by placing a contingency obvious avenue for federal funds. Yet most

Nice Ride launched on June 10, 2010 with 300 green bikes rolling down Nicollet Mall. On that day, questions about the Yellow Bike Project ended. Instead it seemed everyone wanted a bike share station in their neighborhood or business district. these objectives, the Nice Ride Board directed draw on small groups of people interested in Alta to choose station locations that would transportation policy. The resulting service The initial bike share station location plan maximize Nice Ride’s utility as a area centered on three locations: downtown was prepared by Alta Planning and Design in transportation system. Alta chose locations Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota 2009. Nice Ride’s early goals were to based on residential density, employment and Minneapolis campus, and the maximize social impact on public perception educational activity, and transit boarding Wedge/Uptown. of cycling, drive transportation mode shift, activity. To supplement Alta’s findings, Nice and ensure financial sustainability. To meet Ride held a series of public workshops to

was aimed at combatting obesity and sedentary lifestyles in low- income communities.

Prior to the 2010 launch, staff projected that Nice Ride expansion would take place over several years, eventually expanding service into downtown Saint Paul with the opening of the MetroTransit Green Line in 2014. days after the launch on June 10, 2010, Nice Ride received criticism for After Nice Ride launched, Saint Paul Mayor not installing stations in North Chris Coleman made it clear he had a more accelerated schedule in mind. Just a few Minneapolis. The Nice Ride weeks after launch Coleman invited Blue Board responded by inviting Cross CEO Pat Geraghty and Nice Ride community leaders to a special board Executive Director Bill Dossett to a meeting meeting in July 2010. At the meeting on University Avenue to discuss ideas for bike the board committed to make share in the Central Corridor, on Grand expansion and community Avenue, and in downtown Saint Paul. engagement in North Minneapolis an Blue Cross and was also keen to build on immediate priority. momentum created by the launch. To spur Within only a few weeks, Nice Ride additional public sector investment, Blue Notably, the initial plan did not attempt to partnered with the City of Minneapolis Cross committed to match public sector serve bike trails or recreational destinations. Department of Health and Community capital investment in bike share equipment at Nice Ride’s focus was on workday Services to apply for federal funding for a the same ratio as their initial investment— transportation. North Minneapolis expansion through a one part private funding to two parts public Also absent from the original system map federal stimulus program. The program, funding. The TLC Board responded by inviting were stations in North Minneapolis. Within Communities Putting Prevention to Work, Nice Ride to reply to a solicitation for new

NTPP projects made possible when the Nice Ride’s community engagement federal Highway Bill was extended in 2010. sessions indicated demand to add stations near parks and other ‘attraction In fall 2010 Community Design Group hosted points’. Staff discovered the Chain of a series of local workshops on Nice Ride Lakes were viewed not just as expansion. While pre-launch workshops only recreational resources, but as primary drew a small group of transportation policy destinations for tourist and social advocates, 2010 workshops brought in activity. crowds of people who wanted bike share stations in their neighborhoods. Community These discussions in Nice Ride’s first off- Design Group’s engagement work resulted in season led to a 51-station expansion in 2011. Administration funds available for alternative a Phase 2 Plan, including 200 potential station Due to equipment supply chain challenges, transportation to national parks. locations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The most of these stations were not installed until The Central Corridor Funders Collaborative Nice Ride Board approved the Phase 2 Plan in after mid-summer. Usage doubled in the and University of Minnesota also contributed December 2010 and authorized staff to move second year. Yet the vast majority of funding to fill in stations along University forward to implement it to the extent that ridership increases were concentrated in Avenue (then under light-rail construction) capital funds were committed to support downtown Minneapolis rather than in newly and on the University of Minnesota Saint Paul expansion equipment. placed stations. Campus during the 2012 season. With the The approved Phase 2 Plan Map brought two The 2012 season marked the beginning of support of Mayor Coleman, the MNRRA, and important changes to the Nice Ride system. Nice Ride’s partnership with the National Blue Cross, Nice Ride expanded by 30 stations First, it created a potential service area far Park Service. Through this partnership, Nice in 2012, with expansion efforts focused on larger and less dense than the 2009 Alta plan, Ride was able to assist the National Park downtown Saint Paul. and all existing European systems. Second, Service with their goal of increasing The 2011 and 2012 system expansions were alternative transportation access to and hugely successful in furthering Nice Ride’s through a 72-mile strech of riverfront called mission to make cycling for transportation the Mississippi National River and Recreation mainstream. Dramatic expansion created Area (MNRRA). To achieve this goal, the positive momentum for the bike share that National Park Service awarded Nice Ride resonated with a growing back-to-the-city funds from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit

movement. Minnesotans took pride in Nice and vary in ridership levels with downtown Ride’s success and leadership role. Minneapolis stations performing best.

Yet Nice Ride’s 2011 and 2012 expansions Attraction Point stations are located near were not successful from utilization or destinations like the Chain of Lakes, financial sustainability perspectives. Though museums, hotels, restaurants, and brew system usage continued to grow, the pubs with outdoor seating. These locations downtown Minneapolis core still accounted often see very heavy walk-up use on summer for the vast majority of ridership increases. nights, week-ends, and during events and With about 60% of annual station operation festivals. As a whole, Attraction Point costs fixed regardless of use, many new stations generate more revenue than stations added costs without adding revenue. network stations and often serve as the starting point for people who are equity locations tend to have less access to a These results were summarized in an experiencing urban cycling for the first time. wide-range of urban resources, depend optimization report prepared by Antonio Unlike network stations, Attraction Point heavily on public transportation, or Rosell of Community Design Group. In this stations can perform well even if they are far experience disproportionate incidence of report, Rosell created a framework to from other stations. health complications. Utilization at these evaluate categories of station locations: locations is expected to be lower than Network and Attraction Point locations Network stations are located in high density because residential density and commercial multi-family areas, employment centers, or activity levels are lower. The results of the retail centers, and meet users’ daily Optimization Project underscored both the transportation needs. These stations Board’s commitment to serve these areas and compose the majority of the Nice Ride System the $2,500 annual operating loss Nice Ride

Regional Equity stations are neither placed in high-density areas nor tourist destinations. Instead, these stations provide system access in historically low-income areas in

Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Residents near

must cover for each equity station. positively to both ridership and revenue in 2013 and 2014. Nice Ride currently uses Rosell’s framework to evaluate proposals to relocate stations. In The primary public funding for Nice Ride’s 24 fall 2012, the Nice Ride Board also adopted station expansion in 2013 came through the three specific strategies resulting from National Park Service. The National Park Rosell’s work: Service partnered with Nice Ride to fund locations along the MNRRA, including the Approach private foundations for creation of a link between the Blue Line light operating support for Regional Equity rail and river destinations plus several stations. stations reaching far from the urban core at Go forward with installation of locations like Fort Snelling and Webber Park. Attraction Point stations, even if Stations farthest from Nice Ride’s urban hub those locations are not well have not generated usage similar to urban connected to a dense network of attraction points. Low usage at these stations. locations raises the question whether a bike Densify the Nice Ride system by filling designed for urban transportation is the right in gaps in the core areas where bike tool for trail riding. share works well. Additional public funding for 2013 expansion With these directives, Nice Ride gained came through Hennepin County Community $50,000 in contributions from the McKnight Works. These funds were targeted at stations Foundation in 2013 and 2014 to offset on Lake Street and at Blue Line stations. Regional Equity station costs. The board also approved additional Attraction Point stations In 2014, Nice Ride planned to place new at Lake Calhoun, Lake Nokomis, Minnehaha stations near the Mississippi River north of Falls, and Como Lake to meet rider demand. downtown Minneapolis. Though funding for New stations were added to fill gaps along the new stations was provided by the National busy downtown Minneapolis Riverfront, in Parks Service, 2014 expansion was delayed one case only a block from another successful due to supply chain problems. As a result, station. All of these changes contributed this expansion will occur in the 2015 season.

Nice Ride’s inability to expand in the 2014 season did not stop staff from gaining new sources of funding. In 2014, Nice Ride successfully obtained public funding through the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the traditional channels for distribution of federal transportation dollars for the first time. This award, which will help fund three stations, was made using Transportation Demand Management (TDM) funds in response to Nice Ride’s application for funds to implement system densification goals.

Over the last five years the Nice Ride service area has seen many changes. In downtown Minneapolis, key changes occurred at or just before the 2010 launch. Urban innovations at this time included the completion of the 2nd Ave and Marquette Ave reconstructions, the reopening of Nicollet Mall to bikes,

and the completion of the new Twins Stadium. In more recent years, an apartment and housing boom along the Greenway and downtown riverfront from 2011-2014 added thousands of new “car-lite” residents to the urban core.

After three years of construction, the University of Minnesota re-emerged in 2014 as a transit-oriented district built around Green Line stops. While Green Line construction was over, cranes remained as developers built thousands of new apartment units in Stadium Village. In Lowertown, Saint Paul, the opening of the Saints Stadium in 2015 will create a weekend and evening attraction that brings people into Saint Paul’s core on summer nights and week-ends.

The development of safe, welcoming cycling infrastructure has brought important changes to the local urban landscape. In Minneapolis, rapid expansion of the bike lane system occurred in 2010-2012, spurred by NTPP investment and the Minneapolis

Bicycle Coalition’s work. In many cases new in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In part, the Through its experiences in Saint Paul, Nice infrastructure created safe bike routes differences between system efficacy in Ride learned that the leading investment through difficult barriers, crafting a network Minneapolis and Saint Paul are about timing. approach is a hard way to run a business of bike lanes and trails. dependent on sales revenue and station In Minneapolis, the bike share system sponsorship to cover operating costs. Nice Across the river in Saint Paul, major bike launched concurrent with other investments Ride staff also learned that using bike share as infrastructure development remains in the in transit-oriented development, downtown a political tool may undermine the planning stage. Challenging barriers like vitality, and cycling infrastructure. The type transformative cultural impact of a successful highway bridges and one lane streets make it of launch conducted in Minneapolis is launch. While low utilization of bike share difficult for cyclists to move in and out of referred to as a concurrent investment may motivate politicians, a system operating downtown and north-south between Green approach. In that context, bike share thrived well below capacity does not change peoples’ Line stops and Grand Avenue. and served its intended function as a catalyst perceptions of an urban area or make cycling for cultural change. Success stories in Paris, a mainstream activity in those places. In 2014, Mayor Coleman proposed a Bike Washington DC, and New York City also Plan for Saint Paul with transformative demonstrate the transformative impact of potential. Nice Ride is working actively with concurrent, large investments in bike Saint Paul Women on Bikes, a new grass- infrastructure and bike share. roots initiative formed with support from Blue Cross, to support the Bike Plan. Nice Ride is Nice Ride’s launch in Saint Paul was a bit particularly interested in the concept of a different. In Saint Paul, bike share preceded downtown “Loop” intended to create a these investments, using a leading investment protected bike-ped facility similar to the approach. Rather than drawing on existing Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Nice Ride sees the momentum, bike share has been employed as downtown Loop proposal as a visionary tool to expand transportation options during concept, supported by business, the a difficult period in some areas of Saint Paul hospitality industry, and cyclists, to connect when retail and entertainment businesses downtown employment centers, parks, and were impacted by major construction. Bike cultural destinations. share has also been viewed as a political tool to change conversations about protecting The heat maps displayed above illustrate parking into conversations about vitality and differences in bike share usage and revenue livable streetscapes in Saint Paul.

Mayor Rybak’s instinct to put ownership of the bike share system in the hands of a public-private partnership proved both strategic and essential to Nice Ride’s success. Through this model, Nice Ride has expanded, invested more resources in outreach and program activity, placed greater emphasis on a continuous cycle of improvement, and developed tools to reach people outside the urban core. With the support of their sponsors, Nice Ride was able to do all of this faster than any other bike share in the country.

From 2010 through 2013, station sponsorship revenue covered approximately 40% of Nice

Ride’s operating costs for the urban bike Each summer Nice Ride trains its outreach share system. With the exception of team to lead introductory bike rides, fit contracts negotiated in 2009, all of these helmets, and plan great cycling routes. sponsorships have been one year commitments. The majority of Nice Ride’s Target Corporation has played a key role in station sponsors, however, have chosen to these efforts by directly funding outreach programs in low-income neighborhoods continue to support the bike share system in limits of its effective service area. That season where cycling activity is low and negative every year of operation. These sponsors Blue Cross encouraged Nice Ride to explore health impacts associated with sedentary include: new tools to help make active transportation lifestyles are more prevalent. mainstream in suburban areas and small Allina Health cities. Augsburg College Birchwood Café Meanwhile, the Nice Ride Board was focused Dero on improving the operations and financial Dorsey & Whitney, LLP sustainability of Nice Ride’s core urban Freewheel Bike system. Nice Ride needed to find a way to Peace Coffee operate new programs without redirecting Seward Community Co-op funds aimed at urban bike share. Target More than just encouraging active lifestyles, When Nice Ride staff requested additional Wedge Community Co-op Nice Ride’s sponsors want to associate their programming support, Blue Cross was excited Nice Ride’s sponsors make their investment brands with a quality service. They are less to have the chance to expand Nice Ride’s decisions based on their own goals to concerned with operations details and more reach in the community. These new encourage healthy lifestyles and urban concerned about Nice Ride’s reputation for opportunities changed Nice Ride’s title vitality. Most sponsors are less interested in providing a reliable, high-quality experience. sponsorship relationship. Blue Cross agreed transportation data and more interested in When Nice Ride succeeds in fulfilling these to fund investments in Nice Ride’s cultural impact. With the encouragement of expectations, sponsors want to build on that organizational capacity, improvements to these sponsors, Nice Ride built a strong success by bringing Nice Ride to more people. existing equipment, and capital expansion. outreach team dedicated to introducing In 2013 it became clear that the Nice Ride people to urban cycling and active lifestyles. urban system was reaching the geographic

By re-investing, Blue Cross enabled Nice Ride to restructure its staffing, purchase a long-term home for its operations, and bring the customer service call center in-house. Blue Cross also made it possible for Nice Ride to replace obsolete modems in terminals, hire a technician to reduce response times on technological problems, and work with 8D to develop retrofit solutions that will facilitate integration of mobile payment and unlocking interfaces.

today than they were in 2011. Also, as some season forces Nice Ride to constantly

of Nice Ride’s electronic devices are reaching innovate and improve. Close relationships the end of their useful lives, the system’s between Nice Ride and its sponsors have All of these changes positively impacted how ‘uptime’ rates are significantly higher than in allowed Nice Ride to go on despite lagging users experience the Nice Ride system. previous years. Nice Ride staff makes utilization and revenue projections all while Though the bikes are older than most bike replacements with the latest technologies. strengthening Nice Ride’s commitment to share bikes in the country, Nice Ride’s highly encouraging a strong cycling community. trained staff and new quality assurance Soliciting sponsorship every year is procedures keep them in better condition challenging. Yet renewing sponsorships each

For Nice Ride, achieving financial sustainability has been a careful balance of controlling operating costs while increasing revenue and fostering sponsor relationships.

Nice Ride was successful in controlling costs in its early years of operation. Cash flow reducing costs of take-out and redeployment, limitations forced belt tightening. Nice Ride reducing overtime pay, in-sourcing the was housed in a closet, held compensation customer service call center, increasing low, and did not invest in tools or spare parts. capacity to make repairs locally, and sourcing

Tremendous donations of professional spare parts directly. services and in-kind or below-market rents helped Nice Ride stay afloat. Because these investments in capacity have paid dividends in higher utilization and In 2013 and 2014 Nice Ride intentionally revenue in the urban system, Nice Ride increased its investment in compensation, intends to continue this approach. Finding space, spare parts, and tools to achieve additional cost efficiencies will be a challenge. system improvement goals. In doing so Nice Ride found substantial efficiencies, including

The 2014 season marked a big step forward for Nice Ride’s system revenue. Without any increase in the number of stations or bikes, sales revenue from subscriptions, passes, and fees grew 39%—a year over year increase of $271,000.

Many factors contributed to Nice Ride’s success in 2014 including:

more people moving and socializing downtown a record year for Minneapolis hotel occupancy the launch of Car2Go bringing increased urban mobility and substantial co-marketing successful system optimization of Network and Attraction Point stations a sales strategy that focused on simple messaging, utilizing a free- trial pass sponsored by Blue Cross offering membership incentives, and Nice Ride does not know which of these lingering concerns about the initial maximizing Nice Ride’s impact at factors contributed most to its revenue $250 authorization hold (removed in community events increase. The organization has, however, 2011) remains an obstacle to sales greater system realization due to learned a few things through trial and error: customers increasingly favor walk-up modem upgrades and improved access over membership rebalancing comprehension of Nice Ride products

product changes (discussed below) remains a major obstacle to sales

Nice Ride’s title and station sponsors play a large role in the organization’s financial sustainability. Over its years of operation, Nice Ride developed a successful model to solicit and recognize station sponsorships. Nice Ride’s standard $10,000 station sponsorships grant sponsors four station posters for the duration of a Nice Ride season.

The greatest persisting challenge in the sponsorship program lies in balancing senior staff time needed to solicit new sponsors with time spent developing and improving Nice Ride’s outreach programming. Developing a scalable, sustainable sponsorship model for Nice Ride’s Neighborhood and Greater Minnesota initiatives present the largest challenges going forward.

The Nice Ride bikes, custom designed and manufactured for PBSC by Cycles Devinci, have stood the test of time far better than staff anticipated. Nice Ride found that if the bikes are maintained well and wear parts like chains, seats, bungees, and grips are replaced, bikes in service since 2010 can be expected to continue to perform well, even being indistinguishable from newer bikes. The Shimano Nexus internal shifting and roller brake system Nice Ride selected for its bikes has also performed well and reliably.

The primary criticism of Nice Ride’s green bike rests on its heavy weight and slow feel when Continuously improving user experience with a rider is taking a longer trip in places like the the Nice Ride system remains one of the Midtown Greenway where other bikes travel largest priorities for the staff. While more quickly. Nice Ride anticipates that rebalancers keep bikes in each station, current bike share industry restructuring will mechanics keep the bikes running smoothly, open up the market for greater competition and IT personnel work to improve customer for bike share bikes. Nice Ride staff is hopeful interface on the streets and on the Nice Ride that these changes will lead to options for website. Of course, things don’t always work lighter bikes and a winter-specific bike. the way the staff plans.

With over 35 years of experience in state park and bicycle advocacy, Nice Ride’s first Operations Director, Dan Breva gave local regulating officials confidence in the new nonprofit. In the months leading up to Nice Ride’s first season Breva obtained permits for all 65 stations, led Nice Ride’s first assembly and installation project in partnership with Jeff Siewert of Sieco Construction, and hired the first rebalancing team.

Each of these initial operations tasks renews every year at Nice Ride. Permitting bike share stations is a never-ending process in cities continuously under construction. Each permit raises a new set of concerns with neighboring uses and competing demands for the right of way. Breva chose battles carefully and cultivated a relationship with permitting officials who viewed Nice Ride as a partner willing to help to solve problems, not just cause them. Breva’s careful work led to expedited permitting procedures Nice Ride uses today.

Unlike most large urban systems, Nice Ride chose not to separate its rebalancing and bike maintenance responsibilities. Nice Ride

believes it is more efficient to train the same tools paired with more responsibility made Snowmobile trailers provided the light weight drivers to both rebalance and maintain the employees happier and more effective. and low loading height desired for bikes. Operations team members are rebalancing, but pulling the wide wheelbase authorized to park their trucks and work on trailer behind a narrow vehicle was a recipe bike and station maintenance when the for fender benders. We now use trailers system is in balance, while monitoring the custom-built by Anthony Siewert. The system for stations at risk of becoming empty reduction in accidents quickly made up for or full. the increased trailer cost.

Communication was the biggest challenge to the operations team in Nice Ride’s first season. To use their time well and avoid In the future Nice Ride hopes to give its unnecessary trips back to the shop, operations team more insight into the way operations team members needed up to date their work affects customer experience, tying information and ways to get their questions incentive compensation to results that impact answered. In fall 2011 IT Director Mitch Vars customers. Nice Ride staff is currently and current Operations Director Ian working through the North American Nancekivell worked together to develop an Bikeshare Association (NABSA) to create a One of Nice Ride’s biggest challenges and intranet communication tool and protocol for reliability index for this purpose. largest operation expenses is removing managing non-urgent tasks and following up stations for winter and redeploying them in on more urgent problems with Trucks and trailers are a big part of Nice the spring. Since Nice Ride’s first season, malfunctioning stations. Ride’s work. Nice Ride was originally Sieco Construction has handled all of the outfitted with a Chevy Silverado and two heavy equipment work for each deployment Instead of having a central dispatcher who electric vehicles. The Phase II Plan’s increased and takeout. Each spring and fall Sieco’s makes decisions for operations staff, service area brought with it the need for employees integrate with a team of Nice Ride rebalancers communicate on the street, more endurance and towing power than an staff using forklifts to install up to 35 stations making their own decisions in real time. electric vehicle could provide. At this time, or remove up to 42 stations per night. Drivers are also not given targets for the Nice Ride traded its electric vehicles for Ford number of bikes in any location at any time. Rangers. With years of practice and a bike storage Nice Ride learned that better communication facility provided by Allina Health in the middle

of Nice Ride’s service area, takeout and Nice Ride isn’t the only bike deployment are more efficient than ever. But share that has considered the process is still expensive. Total costs for winter operations. Bike share redeployment and takeout in 2014 were systems in Chicago, Toronto, $161,000. Salt Lake City, and Denver now operate year round. This Nice Ride staff’s primary strategy to reduce winter the University of these costs is to obtain permission to store Minnesota asked Nice Ride to more stations in place during the winter. evaluate the potential for an Alternatively, Nice Ride could reduce takeout extended season zone, and redeployment costs by extending the possibly extending use to the operating season for some or all of its beginning of the Christmas stations. break and restarting Nice Ride committed to evaluate winter operations in March. operations when it accepted federal funds in When Nice Ride staff 2009. An initial evaluation concluded that a presented the University’s idea winter bike share business model did not to the Nice Ride Board, the make sense, even assuming a winter program Board decided to hold on this could be accomplished safely by installing opportunity until a winter- studded tires on Nice Ride’s bikes. Within specific bike, protected bike Nice Ride’s current season, usage rates drop lanes, and innovations in precipitously by late October leaving little maintaining bike share stations in snow Blue Shield of Minnesota through outreach promise for winter sales. Moreover, salt create more optimal conditions for a winter events across Minneapolis and Saint Paul. damage to Nice Ride’s bikes would severely bike share program. alter their lifespan. Currently all of Nice With over seven hundred bike share systems Ride’s permits for right of way in the City of Nice Ride does not currently distribute operating worldwide and over 30 million trips Minneapolis and the City of Saint Paul require helmets at stations. Instead, the Nice Ride taken on bike share bikes in the U.S., the that stations be removed by mid-November. outreach team has distributed approximately safety record of bike share has been very 18,000 helmets contributed by Blue Cross and good. Advocates for providing helmets at

stations or mandating helmet use have been Nice Ride staff. The cost associated with would not present an easy opportunity for largely quiet. maintaining Seattle’s helmets may exceed the thieves and vandals. Headlines in 2007 and cost of the helmets, making it hard to say if 2008 praised Vélib’s successful ridership but In fall 2014 Seattle launched its bike share this system will be sustainable during peak decried the system’s design—a design that system with a mandatory county-wide helmet season. Nice Ride will continue to monitor allowed for 3,000 stolen bicycles in its first law in place. When plans for an automated Seattle’s experience and evaluate its helmet year on the streets. helmet dispenser fell through, Seattle distribution policies in light of those results. launched its system using temporary helmet Public Bike System Company (PBSC) designed bins to distribute and collect helmets on the its system with an intentional focus on honor system. Remarkably, the honor system durability and avoiding the problems that component of this program appears to be When the Nice Ride Board selected a primary plagued Vélib. Though thieves might be able working. After a high rate of theft in early vendor in 2009, they knew that Minneapolis’s to separate the bikes from their docks with weeks, the majority of helmets are now being bike share must be perceived as fun, considerable effort, the docking mechanism’s returned to bins. convenient, and easy to use if it were to be integration into the bike’s headset would successful. On the heels of the Yellow Bike render their frames unrideable after forced Yet the high cost of helmet collecting, library program of the late 1990s, the Board extraction. cleaning, checking, repackaging, and also knew they must choose a platform that redistributing raise feasibility concerns for

hadn’t seen anywhere and a bit of Minnesota Nice would have kept near these projected thieves away. losses. The only bike unaccounted for at the end of 2010 was

recovered in 2011. Early incidents of Mitch Vars, Nice Ride’s IT Director, came to graffiti and attempts the job with a unique background including to modify and web development, interactive kiosk decorate bikes development, and custom fabrication. dropped to a nuisance Executive Director Bill Dossett recalls a level after a few moment in 2010 when the procurement, weeks. Surprisingly, assembly, and installation of the first 65 the greatest stations was complete and Dossett expressed contributor to self-satisfaction. Vars laughed. “This is not a replacement costs has construction project,” he said. “This is been stations hit by technology. It is never complete. The cycle of out-of-control drivers development is continuous. The electronics leaving the road. we buy today are obsolete within a year.”

Looking back Executive In 2010 and 2011, Vars worked regularly with Director Bill Dossett software developers from 8D and the questions whether technical team from PBSC and Alta Bike Share PBSC’s high-security (now Motivate) to identify bugs, test patches, design was worth the and improve the performance of the system. added maintenance time for Nice Ride Key projects included reducing bike docking When Nice Ride hit the streets in 2010, staff mechanics. In hindsight it’s hard to tell errors and developing promotional codes and braced themselves for an expected $140,000 whether the system’s secure features reporting systems to tie financial results to in losses due to theft and major vandalism, accounted for small incidence of theft and customer rental activity. but by the end of the first season Nice Ride vandalism, or if a lower-maintenance version

This early period in North American bike cancelled their card. What Dossett and Vars distrust, particularly among students and low- share was a collaborative venture with a small didn’t know is that US card processing income communities, that has persisted for number of people involved. PBSC was literally procedures are substantially different than in years. writing the technical manuals for assembly Europe. Debit cards, having replaced check and troubleshooting as this collaborative writing in recent years, would be accepted by Nice Ride initially reacted to the authorization group moved forward. our system and used in high volume. hold problem by reducing the hold to $50 and putting additional notices on the terminals. In According to Dossett, if he could go back in When Nice Ride first opened for business on early 2011, Nice Ride became the first system time and change one thing from the start-up June 10th, Dossett sent young operations and in the country to eliminate the authorization phase, he would have retained an expert in outreach employees to test the system using hold. Notably, Nice Ride never actually payment systems in 2010. By doing that, Nice their personal cards. The rentals processed collected and kept an authorization hold. Ride may have avoided a customer without a hitch and customer service experience fiasco created by debits cards and reversed the charges for the test. Yet a few As far as staff can tell, eliminating the a $250 authorization hold. hours after his shift, one employee called authorization hold has not impacted theft Dossett concerned. A restaurant had rejected rates at all. Rather, theft generally occurs Before 2010, all of the bike share systems his debit card. The $250 hold Nice Ride from a misdocked bike or a stolen credit card. operating in Europe and Canada required placed on his account earlier in the day walk-up customers to use a credit card; debit The lessons Nice Ride learned from this exceeded the available amount in his bank cards in these countries were rejected. These experience went beyond a re-evaluation of account. Because every bank sets its own security levels. Staff learned that payment systems placed a $250 authorization hold on rules regarding when to release an credit cards at the time of a 24-hour processing systems are a mystery to authorization hold (usually 5-10 days), there subscription purchase as a security deposit. consumers and software developers alike. was nothing Nice Ride could do to fix that. They vary by country, bank, card, and The hold impacted the customer’s credit limit for a short time, but that had little impact on Within a few days, the Saint Paul Pioneer merchant processor, and they can change. consumers. Because theft was considered Press published a story about a student Perhaps most important from a user the greatest risk to the program, Dossett and unable to buy books and food after using Nice experience perspective, staff learned that the information provided on station decals and Vars were not inclined to change this security Ride. The problem was exacerbated by a deposit. Nice Ride trusts its customers with a customer service call center located in website FAQs is invisible to most people— bike worth $1,000. Staff wanted those Montreal that did not understand the customers only read what appears on the customers to know they could recover at least customers’ problems. This fiasco negatively touchscreen as they speed-read through it. $250, even if they ran off with a bike and impacted Nice Ride’s reputation and created

interface and would have access to any proprietary software developments.

Litigation ultimately Nice Ride’s point of sale continued to evolve concluded with PBSC with changes in software, user agreements, dissolving through and language all aimed at making the system bankruptcy. With this easier to use and understand. For example, final resolution, it Nice Ride took the word ‘free’ out of became clear that 8D’s communications about ride pricing structure development work had and added a screen to the user-interface continued in the requiring the user to accept the fee schedule interim. before proceeding. 8D was ready to In 2012 and 2013, Nice Ride’s involvement in commercialize its first discussions regarding the cycle of software major upgrade to its development abruptly ended. 8D BSS Platform, which Technologies continued to work with Nice incorporated many of Ride on software hosting and maintenance the changes requested issues, but upgrades and improvements years before and new stopped. features, including a sign up and account pages for the Nice Ride dramatically improved touchscreen and the website, reducing data security concerns and PBSC and 8D, former joint collaborators, capacity to dispense keys at terminals. became direct competitors and litigants in a making it possible to sync these pages with lawsuit 8D filed against PBSC for theft of trade Nice Ride became the first bike share system anticipated future developments. secrets. 8D refused to share upgrades with to upgrade to the BSS 4 platform in June 2014 In September 2014 Nice Ride installed the companies under contract with PBSC, because and worked closely with 8D to test and world’s first key-dispensing kiosk in front of PBSC had full access to the operators’ improve system software. Nice Ride also chose to have 8D provide the membership the Hyatt Regency on Nicollet Mall in

Minneapolis. Prior to this point, riders could each station they visit. check out bikes by swiping their credit card at each station or creating an account online Vars’ 2010 statements to Dossett were prophetic. The cycle of development is and receiving a key in the mail. Now riders can purchase a key at select kiosks, continuous, and accelerating. The old Prior to 2013 the Nice Ride call center was run eliminating the need to swipe a credit card at touchscreens in terminals Nice Ride by PBSC and housed in Montreal, Canada. purchased in 2010 should be retrofitted with Under the direction of Melissa Summers, new touchscreens Director of Customer Service and Site and software Planning, the Nice Ride call center moved to upgraded to drive Nice Ride headquarters in Minneapolis during those new screens. operational restructuring. Having Nice Ride’s Robust involvement call center in-house costs less on a net basis of system owners in than the PBSC-run contract and has the cycle of dramatically improved service for Nice Ride’s development is now customers. Most importantly, the local call making that happen. center is able to work directly with the Fostering conditions operations and outreach team to identify and for that collaboration solve problems faster and with less headache is one of the reasons for employees and customers. Nice Ride was instrumental in the formation of the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA).

In September 2014 CityLab declared the smartphone “the most important transportation innovation of the decade.” Creating a world in which people choose not to own a car is about creating a set of alternative transportation choices that are convenient, less damaging for the environment, and less expensive. In the last five years, that set of choices has grown dramatically for many city dwellers, including new car share, bike share, ride share, and transportation network companies.

Over the next five years, Nice Ride staff believes these new alternatives, and traditional alternatives including buses, trains, and taxis, will become better and easier to use. We believe changes relating to in their check-out lanes. Developers working parking is also moving toward an app-based growth of smart phone use as a route on unlocking devices for hotel rooms, office interface, making it possible to avoid standing planner, digital wallet, and unlocking device buildings, car share cars, or bike share bikes in front of a meter with frozen fingers or to will accelerate this change. For Nice Ride, now know that the vast majority of phone add time without leaving your meeting. integrating new technologies is our greatest users will have NFC technology at their The most successful apps are the simplest. opportunity for growth. fingertips to provide an identifying key. No need for a web page. No need for a When Apple introduced ApplePay in Transportation-related apps, including Google subscription. By signing in with the digital September 2014, retailers around the world Maps, UBER, and local transit interactive wallet of their choice, users don’t even have decided that a Near Field Communication maps already account for some of the most to enter financial information. UBER is (NFC) equipped reader is standard equipment commonly downloaded apps. Municipal regarded as a prime example of this kind of

app making it possible to request a ride, providers and combine them with a route Nice Ride’s web interfaces to prepare for a watch your car arrive, and pay with one or planning tool, making it easy for the phone-based transportation world. two screens and one click. Valuations of consumer to select from multiple UBER place the company’s worth around $40 transportation modes or plan an intermodal billion. trip. Global companies like Daimler are investing in these urban mobility tools Although the idea of integrating payment because they believe these tools will facilitate methods has been a goal of transit agencies millions of transportation transactions daily. and bike share companies for many years, very little progress has been made. The In addition to competing with taxis, UBER is transition to mobile payments and targeting auto retailers. UBER is amassing the smartphones instead of cards and keys has volume data that will enable it to offer riders created a unique opportunity to change that. the choice to share the car with another rider, Cities like Helsinki, London, and Los Angeles reducing the price for each of them. As are seizing that opportunity and pushing alternative transportation cost comes down forward major integration initiatives. and convenience and options increase, more people will choose not to own cars. Transit agencies and transportation providers are investing heavily in devices to enable real For all of these reasons, the Nice Ride staff time tracking to predict when and where a believes urban mobility integration has great bus will arrive. Nice Ride IT Director Mitch potential to increase bike share usage and Vars is currently developing an open data positively impact the financial sustainability of protocol for bike share through the North Nice Ride. Nice Ride is working at the local American Bikeshare Association (NABSA). and national level to push urban mobility Open data protocols like these are putting integration. The newest docks Nice Ride tracking data in the hands of app developers. purchases in 2015 will have NFC reading capacity. Nice Ride staff are currently Thousands of independent transportation working with 8D to explore ways to retrofit apps already exist. A new generation of apps, existing bike share docks with this capacity led by Daimler’s RideScout, aggregate data while collaborating with 8D and Clockwork to from hundreds of local transportation explore the timing and direction of changes to

In Minneapolis and Saint Paul, many urban commuters never have to set foot outside. From an attached garage to a parking ramp to a skyway, some residents can get all the way to their offices without taking a breath of fresh air. When Nice Ride rolled onto the streets in 2010, bike share system offered a way for people to break out of their day to day transportation routine.

Early marketing efforts were aimed at presenting a unified brand presence with a clear mission statement. With help from Duffey & Partners design, Roundpeg consulting, Roepke public relations, and Mono marketing, Nice Ride successfully

pitched bike share to sponsors who identified unlocking key without asking them to pay the with Nice Ride’s core values. After system price of a year-long commitment. To bolster launch, sponsor support quickly translated the 30 Day membership’s launch, title From the very first season, Nice Ride’s into public praise. The organization’s ‘Take sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of marketing has been closely linked to its Summer by the Handlebars’ motif led Minnesota offered to pay for trial outreach efforts. While the bright green bikes residents to associate Nice Ride stations with memberships so riders could try out member provide their own visibility, presence at local a bit of warm-weather fun. benefits risk free. events is key to Nice Ride’s position as a staple in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul While 2014 saw a record number of rides, the communities. season’s success likely had less to do with While Minnesotans were taken with Nice membership sign-ups and more to do with an Early on Nice Ride staged its own beer and Ride’s adventurous brand, convincing them to increase in Nice Ride’s local presence. Half of music events called Nice Nites to build a ride a bike or sign up for a membership was Nice Rides 2013 members renewed in 2014. community of cyclists around the bike share easier said than done. In 2011 Nice Ride Hundreds of riders signed up for 30 Day Pay- system. While Nice Nites provided a fun offered discounted annual memberships for As-You-Go memberships. Yet membership space for members to mingle, planning Nice the first time. That spring riders signed up levels continued to hover around 4,000. Nites absorbed an immense amount of senior more than ever before taking Nice Ride’s Marketing Director Anthony Ongaro believes staff time with little impact on system use. number of members to around 4,000 where membership numbers will grow more over membership levels stayed for the past three When staff table at existing community time. Yet his efforts in the coming season will events, however, Nice Ride is able to reach years. In 2012 Nice Ride launched a shift away from membership initiatives membership drive. Yet public radio airtime more people without using their own toward messaging aimed at getting people on marketing and planning resources. For and incentive prizes did not change Nice bikes regardless of their point of entry into Ride’s membership numbers. example, events like Minneapolis and Saint the Nice Ride system. Paul Open Streets bring thousands of At the end of the 2013 season Nice Ride staff residents and tourists to a central location surveyed system users and discovered that Membership- where their main goal is to engage with half of the people riding Nice Ride bikes didn’t focused marketing has yet to present advocates and vendors and enjoy the event’s know Nice Ride offered memberships. The tangible gains for the Nice Ride. In the atmosphere. At events like these Nice Ride next year Nice Ride created a new product: a 2015 season Nice Ride will return to an staff can have hundreds of conversations 30 Day Pay-As-You-Go membership option. emotion-based campaign centered on about bike share in just one day with limited The 30 Day membership gave users an appealing to riders’ sense of urban organization-specific marketing to encourage adventure.

attendance. Some of Nice Ride’s downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The most successful marketing in 40 event initiative centered on living spaces 2014 came from paid ads on within a block or two of a Nice Ride station. social media encouraging People who lived in selected buildings could viewers to visit the Nice Ride sign up for free Nice Ride and Car2Go booth at an upcoming event or memberships while enjoying a healthy snack festival. from one of the co-ops.

In 2014 Nice Ride had the Residents’ proximity to the Nice Ride system opportunity to connect with car made them more likely to ride. Yet the living share industry leader Car2Go as space initiative consumed large amounts of it launched in Minneapolis and staff time without proportionate gains in Saint Paul. Early on Ongaro saw usage or membership. Some events were elements of Nice Ride’s values in successful. But at others, Nice Ride Staff Car2Go’s brand. That summer struggled to get residents to sign up for a free Nice Ride and Car2Go became membership, even with incentives like custom strategic partners, working Banjo Brothers backpacks and packages of together at events and in co- Peace Coffee. This summer Nice Ride staff marketing campaigns that will only return to the apartment benefited each organization. communities where outreach was most successful while pursuing other marketing When Nice Ride’s 30 Day Pay-As- strategies. You-Go trial membership came onto the market in spring 2014, From a marketing Nice Ride and Car2Go partnered standpoint, Nice Ride’s outreach efforts with local nonprofit HOURCAR are most successful when staff tap into plus the Wedge and Seward existing resources to showcase the Nice natural food co-ops to host Ride brand at community events planned urban lifestyle events at high- by partner organizations. density apartment buildings in

create buzz, make the brand visible and pique curiosity. On opening day 300 people rode Outreach has always been Nice Ride bikes down Nicollet Mall for free. an important aspect of Bikes were taken to events and employers to Nice Ride Minnesota, but encourage people to just try them out. The year by year, the role of belief was that once a person got on the bike outreach has changed. and realized how fun it was, they would use While it continues to be the system. Outreach was about building closely related to the excitement, with the assumption that this marketing strategy, it is excitement would drive use and sales. becoming more integral to the mission of the non- The following season continued to be about profit through expanded spreading the brand recognition. With annual programming beyond the memberships discounted to boost sales, the urban bike share system. outreach team’s role was to keep fueling As another example of public interest and desire to be a part of this the commitment to cool new organization. Nice Ride was present quality that characterizes at events large and small, bringing a new Nice Ride, outreach is game or activity each time. To ensure a warm constantly evolving in an welcome everywhere, staff came bearing free effort to better meet the gifts for interested passersby. With beautiful needs of the community branding on hats, shirts, socks and posters, served. Nice Ride gave away thousands of dollars of Nice Ride gear and memberships. At the beginning the public needed to see that A number of changes in outreach strategy there was something new occurred in 2012. More efforts were made to in town. In 2010 every engage people long enough to teach them effort was made to get how to use the bike share system. Free people on the bikes, branded items were used to strategically

create an audience for education as staff asked people to answer trivia questions about how to use the bike share. Only those who answered correctly more than once were rewarded.

The iconic Nice Ride helmet made its debut in 2012. Purchased with funding from Blue Cross, almost 8,000 helmets were given out that season at tabling events in skyways and at festivals.

While every adult could have a helmet, Nice Ride staff needed to fit each person’s helmet for safety reasons. During the time between fittings, long lines often formed. This wait time created the opportunity for the outreach team to have conversations with several people in the line while fitting each helmet.

Whenever possible, event locations were chosen near Nice Ride stations. Nice Ride in your Neighborhood featured the Nice Ride event tent set up near a station on a summer evening each week; neighbors could gather, ask questions and then be led on a short group ride. The Nice Nites events, gatherings In 2012, Nice Ride began sending staff training sessions administered by the Bicycle for beer, music and socializing among through League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Alliance of Minnesota. Requiring at least 30 members, were also held that season. training, a certification process from the hours of training, this intensive process leads League of American Bicyclists, with local bicyclists through classroom and on-street

training modules of the League's Smart from urban bike share only (green bikes) to bike from Nice Ride, they will become part of Cycling curriculum. Once certified, these using fleet bikes for a season to support a community of people choosing to make outreach staff lead rides on Nice Ride bikes individuals in lifestyle changes (orange bikes). biking a part of their lives. The Outreach Team and are certified to teach safe cycling on their will be there to lead rides, teach new skills own time in the community. The success of the 30 day trial proved Nice and encourage the riders to keep pedaling. Ride could get people to sign up as members Since most of these staff are seasonal if we asked them to do it and made it easy The paid seasonal staff are not the only outreach employees who may not return the (and free). Excitement and education people engaging in outreach, either. It is following year, there is a continuing need to continue to be necessary, but they are passive important to recognize the volunteers that have new staff complete the training each sales strategies. Actively selling by asking have been a part of spreading the word about season. This education reflects a significant people to sign up to be members at tabling the joys of biking and bike share from the and ongoing investment. However, the events and asking them to buy passes at our beginning. Throughout all of the phases of benefits of having trained cycling instructors stations is the next step for supporting the outreach efforts, Nice Ride could not have who all know the same best practices and urban bike share. reached the thousands of people at more have proven skills is a critical part of the high than a hundred events per season without quality experience expected from Nice Ride. As Nice Ride expanded its focus in 2014 to the efforts of our dedicated volunteers. 43 Staff that move on to other opportunities include the Greater Minnesota Pilot (see volunteers made up Team Wheelie Nice in continue to carry their knowledge and skills below) and a months-long individual support 2014. Nice Ride staff could not do what they into the community. Through 2014 Nice Ride program called Nice Ride Neighborhood (see do without volunteers working right alongside has had 12 staff become LCIs. Five of those below), Nice Ride’s outreach efforts expanded them. will be returning in 2015 and five more will go and will continue to do so. through LCI training in 2015.

The Neighborhood program will grow from In the 2013 season, staff intently focused on 146 to 270 participants/fleet bikes in 2015. education. The outreach team led significantly The Neighborhood program also inspired a more station demonstration rides while the similar yet distinct program that will launch in free helmets were used to entice people to partnership with Allina Health. The program, check out bikes on a free 24 hour pass. called Wheel Being, will feature a fleet of However, 2014 marked the most significant bikes that health care providers will prescribe shifts: first, from education to sales; second, to their patients. Once patients receive their

Nice Ride’s expansion into North Minneapolis was guided by a planning and community engagement project led by Bill Smith of Biko Associates, Inc. Smith led a series of community meetings and focus groups to guide bike share implementation in North Minneapolis. Smith presented his recommendations to the Board through a report, entitled Nice Ride on the North Side. The research outlined in this report led to a greater emphasis on encouraging cycling and introducing bike share in low-income communities through outreach activities described below. Equity-based outreach also introduced Nice Ride to a number of the community partners the organization Mayor to a volunteer debris clean-up day. continues to work with today. The death of a Nice Ride member, killed by an out of control driver while he was standing In 2011, Nice Ride began a program to reach Nice Ride’s work in North Minneapolis has next to a bike share station, led to a out to low-income communities in the Nice often taken unexpected turns. An invitation community ride to honor his memory. With Ride service area. Sponsored by the Target to coffee with Representative Bobby each new obstacle, Nice Ride’s nonprofit Corporation, the program provided Champion became a meeting with business model has given staff the flexibility discounted and free annual memberships to transportation equity advocates and a MPR to make progress in an ever-changing social services providers able to share them reporter. A severe tornado shortly after environment. with clients. Yet merely connecting installation of the North Minneapolis individuals with reduced priced memberships expansion changed plans from a ride with the was not enough to encourage ridership.

With the support of the Target Corporation, was lent a high-quality commuter bike with the Community Partners program has evolved lights, fenders, and cargo rack, branded and to focus on individuals whose transportation painted orange to identify the program. needs match up with the service Nice Ride provides through its urban system. Beyond In exchange for using the bike, participants handing out memberships, the Community agreed to attend an orientation ride and Partners Program provides new riders the participate in at least four Ride and Dine training and community support necessary for events hosted by the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota. These events were a successful introduction to urban cycling. intended to create a supportive community The program follows a process aimed at for riders while introducing them to cycling distributing resources to persons who will routes in their communities. benefit from them most. First partners The Nice Ride Neighborhood Program, identify individuals who are likely to use Nice Ride and Dine events also provided an launched in 2014, grew out of a desire to Ride, but may not be able to access bike share opportunity for Neighborhood participants to build on the success of urban bike share by on their own. Next Nice Ride hosts an have mechanics from Nice Ride and Free developing new tools and programs that will orientation ride near the partner’s location. Bikes 4 Kidz fix any issues with their bike such encourage active transportations in as flat tires or seat adjustment to make sure At the orientation Nice Ride staff provides an communities outside the urban core. The introduction to the Nice Ride system, tips on these kinds of repair and adjustment issues program was not conceived as a low-income how to ride in traffic, and gives each rider a did not prevent people from riding. They program. The initial pilots, however, were could also take their bikes to local bike shops helmet. At the end of each orientation riders focused in North Minneapolis and in Saint are given free year-long memberships to Nice Venture North and Cycles for Change for no- Paul’s Frogtown and East Side neighborhoods. Ride and access to a computer to create a cost service during regular business hours. Services provided by these bike shops were Nice Ride account. Like the Community Partners Program, paid for through a partnership with Nice Ride participants in the Nice Ride Neighborhood The Community Partners Program and its Minnesota. Pilot were enrolled by a community clinic, sister initiative, the Student Scholarship church, housing provider or other partner Program operate through direct partnerships At the end of the Neighborhood Program, with regular contact with the rider. But, with community organizations like Emerge, participants who attended four community instead of receiving a reduced membership to Saint Paul Public Housing, and Minneapolis events and rode at least twice a week Nice Ride’s urban system, each participant Career and Technical College (MCTC). received a $200 credit to their local bike shop

infrastructure (parks, trails, and bike lanes) and provided connection to people in their neighborhood around bicycling. Thus, we believe the NRN program improved the perception of biking in the neighborhood and may lead to neighborhood and geographic community level increases in biking behaviors and perceptions.

The success of this pilot program has reinvigorated Nice Ride’s engagement with low-income communities, particularly in North Minneapolis, where program partners have come forward with great ideas to improve the program.

The Neighborhood Program’s success will also enable Nice Ride to respond to requests for expansion in areas outside the urban core by providing a tool that is better suited to areas partner upon returning their orange concluded that the pilot was successful in lacking the density that is necessary for urban Neighborhood bike. changing individual and community bike share. perceptions around active transportation: The University of Minnesota conducted an extensive evaluation of the Neighborhood The creation of a “biking community” pilot. Student researchers attended and “fellowship” among participants Neighborhood events, worked with Nice Ride was a critical driver of program staff, and interviewed over 90 riders at the participation and success. Further, end of the program season in October and NRN participants reported that the November. In the Executive Summary of program increased their knowledge their report, the University researchers and use of existing biking

Blue Cross engages with cities and towns across the state on active living initiatives. In 2012, Blue Cross began hearing a common theme: small cities want Nice Ride, too. Nice Ride also heard these requests as mayors and sustainability directors called Nice Ride headquarters, asking how to bring bike share to their communities.

In fall 2013 Nice Ride hired Anthony Desnick as the Director of Greater Minnesota Strategies. Desnick’s first task was to meet with advocates all over Minnesota to get their ideas on how Nice Ride could build on its urban success through programs in small cities. Next Desnick drafted the Greater Minnesota Vision Statement to guide Nice Ride’s work outside Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Develop Nice Ride Centers: a focal Nice Ride’s first Greater Minnesota pilot point for cycling activity and active kicked off in June 2014 as a group ride on the Core strategies of the vision statement living culture in small cities program’s new orange VANMOOF bikes include: Support local bike shops by arrived in Bemidji. For the next four months contracting with them for operating Bemidji residents and visitors could rent any Pioneer new tools—not necessarily support. of the 100 bicycles from four locations around urban bike share—tailored to small Encourage people to ride to and town. Students at Bemidji State University cities. through downtown. could also check out bikes from a special fleet

rentals for Bemidji residents between infrastructure development to make cycling Monday morning and Thursday between the hotels and downtown more evening. intuitive. Blue Cross funded a planning project to bring those ideas to fruition. From the perspective of utilization and establishing a replicable business In its second season, Nice Ride Bemidji will model, the results from the first year refocus its efforts on the downtown bike of Bemidji’s three year pilot program center and away from some of the tourist were a disappointment. Ridership destinations by the Lake. Similar to Nice levels were low, particularly at the Ride’s outreach efforts in the Twin Cities, Visitor’s Center and lake front park Bemidji’s outreach activities will be targeted rental locations. Revenue was very to maximize impact and leverage social media low, in part because the web-based and incentives. reservation system caused confusion despite its intent to be simple for consumers and retail partners. With over 80% of users checking out bikes by walking up to a rental location without a reservation, most of the confusion over Nice Ride Bemidji’s rental system was unnecessary.

Yet 2014 was more successful from the perspective of Nice Ride’s mission to help make Bemidji a ‘bike place’. Local hotel operators and downtown business owners, particularly the local designated for coursework, group rides, or a foods cooperative, saw the benefits of semester-long lease. To encourage local marketing their town as a bike place. As a cycling, the program featured free two hour result, these community leaders are supportive of efforts to add wayfinding and

Nice Ride took a leading role in the formation and convening of the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA). In part, this work was motivated by a desire to restore stability and communication about the cycle of bike share development to an industry rocked by the bankruptcy of its biggest vendor, Public Bike System Company (PBSC). Beyond its original function as a forum for collaboration, Nice Ride staff views the industry association as the best tool to drive forward an urban mobility integration agenda.

At NABSA’s first annual meeting in Pittsburgh, representatives of the Shared Use Mobility Center, the American Public Transit Association (APTA), RideScout, and Car2Go opened a dialog with bike share owners, operators, and vendors about urban mobility integration. Nice Ride Executive Director Bill Dossett is currently serving on a working group of APTA on the vendors and with other transportation Legislative issues as it recently signed a same subject. NABSA is hosting webinars, like providers about payment system integration. memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PeopleForBikes to collaborate on legislative “ABCs of Payments” that will enable cities and NABSA will also provide the bike share non-profits to engage intelligently with our strategies common to both. industry with a voice in Washington on

This winter Nice Ride staff reached out to organizational partners to share their thoughts as Nice Ride prepared its Five Year Assessment and Strategic Plan. Partners touched on three topics:

Impact/social benefit: Does Nice Ride make a noticeable difference and how? Are we making the most of the public and private resources invested in Nice Ride? Partnership: Have we met your expectations? What can we do better? Are we missing opportunities to pursue common goals? Direction: What should Nice Ride do As staff read through the thoughts of Nice themes are highlighted below. A complete more of, or less of, three years from Ride sponsors, community partners, and local version of the comments Nice Ride received now? leaders, a two themes emerged: expansion are available here. and equity. Comments centered on those

the program can we provide advice and

assistance. If we can add more stations, those stations I think the outreach work that you all do - Lisa Austin, Bicycle and should be used to “thicken” the coverage [through the Student Scholarship Program] is Pedestrian Planning Coordinator, within the existing service area, not spread fantastic and I’ve witnessed first-hand the Minnesota Department of out into a broader geography. value of your program! Transportation - Peter Wagenius, Policy Director, - Kimberly Bestler, Program We would like to see “orange bike” or Social City of Minneapolis Office of the Assistant and Tutor Coordinator, Bicycle systems implemented in lower Mayor TRiO/Student Support Services, traffic—yet still popular—areas such as in and Augsburg College Seward Co-op would very much like to see the connecting between parks and towns, such as Nice Ride program expand further into south Anoka and Hastings, in the MNRRRA. There has been great progress in working on Minneapolis in order to accommodate equity issues with low-income people of color. - Ben Rasmussen, US Department shoppers at our new location in the Bryant I would like to see more with equity in all of Transportation, Volpe National neighborhood. levels of income of people of color. I think the Transportation Systems Center, partnership with Major Taylor could be - Tom Vogel, Marketing Manager, Consultant to Mississippi expanded to do more of this. Seward Co-op National River and Recreation Area - Lisa Austin, Bicycle and I am interested to see what happens with the Pedestrian Planning Coordinator, We are looking forward to our new Wheel Bemidji campus use and the collaboration Minnesota Department of with the college. Can we survey the students Being partnership, to show our primary care Transportation and find out what would make them ride physicians that partnering with a community more? Can we learn from what is working organization is feasible and successful (we Allina Health also has a renewed focus on and what is not in Fargo and how they are hope!) and to encourage our patients to try a Health Equity and many of our clinics have partnering with the college and bike share new type of physical activity. selected ‘Optimal Diabetes Control’ amongst there? Can we do more to help with bike our non-English speaking patients as one of - Alison Pence, Director of share at other college campuses like Duluth their goals for 2015 (including the Community Engagement, West and Mankato. Even if Nice Ride does not run Bloomington clinic). It would be nice if NR Metro, Allina Health

could include focusing on these same populations as well….

You’ve got urban bike share down. Time to think about how best to access the people who aren’t being (and won’t be) served by your current efforts.

- Alison Pence, Director of Community Engagement, West Metro, Allina Health

I think there is more opportunity for partnering around expanding biking access in low-income and to more diverse communities. I think Nice Ride should make sure to keep running its core business well and focus additional efforts on breaking down barriers to biking/Nice Ride for people who do not regularly bike….

I do think that Nice Ride should make it a priority to have their Board and staff better reflect the diversity of the city. That is especially important for meaningfully expanding NR Neighborhood and future programs targeted to communities of color.

- Ethan Fawley (pictured right), Executive Director, Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition

Our current mission statement is effective and captures our core values. Focusing on multiple benefits—health, vitality, and transportation—has resonated with partners and the public and served as a guide for good decisions. We should make a small change to our mission statement to reflect that Nice Ride does more than bike share programs. We operate fleets of bikes for the public good.

Our five-year experience has demonstrated that bike sharing works most effectively in urban areas. Adding stations near single-family homes results in under-utilized stations. Adding stations near other successful stations (i.e., “densifying” the network) results in more highly utilized stations and growth in total system usage. Future expansion of the urban system should focus on densification: o An immediate need for densification exists in the area surrounding the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus, which has been transformed by light rail and transit-oriented development. o Station expansion should closely follow high-density apartment development in the urban core. o Our 2011 “Phase 2” Plan is outdated. We should re-engage the public to share our five-year results, re-focus urban system expansion on the urban core, and demonstrate the new tools we are developing for other areas. Our operations and financial investments should focus on customer experience, quality, and reliability. o We will expand investment in metrics, quality assurance, and incentive compensation to give employees transparency to customer experience and motivate commitment to quality and reliability. o Through the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA) industry association, we will continue to learn from the successes and mistakes of other systems, particularly focusing on winter cycling and helmet use/safety. We will invest in and look for opportunities to play a leadership role in urban mobility integration. Rapid growth in alternative transportation solutions, changing consumer preferences toward urban living and away from car ownership, and adoption of smart- phone-based payment, sign-up, and unlocking systems create a unique opportunity for urban mobility integration. To achieve its mission and strengthen financial sustainability, Nice Ride should pursue this opportunity. o We should optimize our product configuration and pricing to anticipate a world in which riders come to Nice Ride through smart phone apps that aggregate transportation alternatives.

Winter Biking o Due to the particular challenges of our climate, freeze-thaw cycles, and heavy use of road salts, Nice Ride should remain cautious about winter cycling in the urban system. Important changes are anticipated that may enhance feasibility, including: development of winter-specific bicycles, installation of protected bikeways, and innovation in winter bikeways maintenance. Nice Ride should wait for these changes before piloting a winter urban bike share program. However, Nice Ride should continue to look for opportunities to locate stations in locations where they can remain in place year-round, particularly in a zone surrounding the University of Minnesota in and urban parks.

Small Cities/Bike Places o Refocus on: Partnerships with restaurants, local food retailers, and hotels. Riding to and through downtown. o Simplify user interface for customers and partners. Work flexibly with Bemidji State University. Get it right before adding cities. o Supporting people willing to try active transportation: Nice Ride Neighborhood Continue and refine program in North Minneapolis, Frogtown, and East Saint Paul. Build on relationships with most-invested partners. Follow direction of University of Minnesota study: continue community-building and investment in quality; create more ways for participants to succeed. Wheel Being Pilot program similar to Nice Ride Neighborhood with enrollment through physician referrals in suburban areas Develop business plan and prepare for growth; look to title sponsorship for capital/growth; look to program sponsorship, grants, and individual giving for operating support. o Continue to look for new opportunities and tools to build on success of urban bike share by making riding a bike for transportation “mainstream” and making the connection between health and how we get around.

Build on success as a “grass tops” public-private partnership with capacity to implement high-quality projects on schedule o Maintain strong relationships with government partners; use Nice Ride investment to leverage public sector investment in infrastructure and integration; time new projects to coincide with infrastructure improvements, not precede them. o Strengthen relationships with the key sponsors who have supported Nice Ride since 2010 and whose goals are best aligned with our mission while cultivating new sponsor relationships with firms that share our values and goals. o Continue to vigorously support the “grass roots” efforts of key organizations, including the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, St. Paul Women on Bikes, and Transit for Livable Communities. We can and we should simultaneously invest in innovation and improving core service. Continue to invest in capacity-building through staff training and equipment acquisition. Continue to invest in national industry association as a catalyst for urban mobility integration and forum for professional development. Be open to partnership and restructuring opportunities as changes in urban mobility sector accelerate.

Aaron Stoltman Innokenty Zavyalov Melissa Summers Alasdair McKernan Isabel Antreasian Michael Dodd Alexander Inman Jacob Quarstad Michael Wethington Alexander Salazar Jamez Smith Mitchell Vars Alicia Cameron Jeffrey Shockley Mourette Valcin Amitabh Singh Jeremy Mendelson Nathaniel Hart-Andersen Amy Salloway Jessamine Bristow Nicholas Carroll Andrew Cook Jill Lestina-Warnest Paul Stucker Andrew Ritchie Johanna Winters Robert Fox Andrew Temperante John Bemel Robert Hollister Angela Coe John Feidt Sarah Dunne Anna Jacobson John Strharsky Sarah Lageson Anthony Desnick Jonathan Howard Sarah Padovese Anthony Ongaro Joshua Sweet Scott Hoostal Ben Gross Julian Hyde Shayla Yeackley Brent Grihalva Kristine Nye Tami Traeger Chad Belcher Lauren Haun Travis Palmer Christopher Farstad Manuel Alvarez Trevor Drake Coreen Elwell Marisa Cartwright William Bush III Daniel Breva Mark Rood William Dossett Ellen Apel Matthew Broin William Zager Emily Wade Matthew Irons Wolfram Ruhmann Franz Cordes-Eklund Matthew Peterson Wyatt Miller Garrett Hengstler Matthew Steely Ian Nancekivell Melinda Neville