Explore Bike Share Allows Docking at Public Bike Racks
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PRINT EDITION JUST $99 PER YEAR Covering local news, politics, and more Covering Memphis Since 1886 Channel 10 Friday nights at 7 MEMPHISDAILYNEWS.COM Wednesday, April 3, 2019 MemphisDailyNews.com Vol. 134 | No. 54 Rack–50¢/Delivery–39¢ Construction begins on Health Department headquarters OMER YUSUF same address, 814 Jefferson. Once site recommended building a new January 2016, played a key part in is more efficient and customers Courtesy of The Daily Memphian construction of the new building facility instead of renovating the providing input to what will be in don’t have to wait as long.” Construction has begun on a is complete, the old buildings will current one. One building was the new facility. Architecture firm brg3s de- new $25 million Shelby County be torn down and a new parking constructed during the 1950s and “The goal is not to add new ser- signed the new Health Department Health Department headquarters. lot will be added. the other in the 1970s. vices, but to do old things in new building and Turner Construction The new facility is at the cor- Discussions about the new Shelby County Health Depart- ways,” Haushalter said. “To be fo- Co. is responsible for construction. ner of Jefferson Avenue and North headquarters began several years ment director Alisa Haushalter, cused on patient-friendly (servic- Manassas Street and keeps the ago after a study on the current who was appointed to her role in es), and have an environment that HEALTH CONTINUED ON P2 industry average,” said Trey Moore, executive direc- tor of Explore Bike Share. “What that tells us is there is a lot of recreational use of Bike Share currently. Explore Bike Share allows With our new pricing model, I suspect we will see the number of daily trips go up and we will see the average ride time decrease.” Explore Bike Share began with a $5 single-ride docking at public bike racks pass that, effective Monday, changed to $1.25 for 15 minutes. “That’s going to allow individuals to take shorter trips at a reduced price,” Moore said of the “pay-as- you-go” option. “These would not be individuals with memberships, but perhaps infrequent or first-time users taking short trips.” The packages also include a new 24-hour pass for $5, good for unlimited 60-minute rides. The weekly pass is reduced to $10 from the origi- nal $12. The $15 monthly membership remains as is. It is the most popular membership level. Parking the bikes at a public bike rack approved by the city for the public right of way instead of at an Explore Bike Share dock comes with a $1 conve- nience fee assessed through GPS technology in the bikes. Explore Bike Share also is shifting its network of docking stations to move some of those stations from high-frequency stops to areas that don’t cur- rently have the stations. Rider surveys and data show the need for more stations, and the group is exploring new stations at popular destinations that are sponsored by nearby businesses. “When we first launched Explore Bike Share … we were following industry best practices as far as the size of stations we put in, the number of docks we put in place,” Moore said. “We realize that we don’t need large docks or large stations in all loca- tions. We’re going back and rightsizing some of our Bikers at the launch of Explore Bike Share on May 23, 2018. The nonprofit bike-share system is allowing riders to dock the bicycles station locations – reducing the number of docks at any publicly accessible bike rack in its service area and is dropping its annual membership fee from $120 to $90 as part of a available at some stations and then reusing those larger change in its pricing. (Houston Cofield file/Courtesy of The Daily Memphian) docks to create greater density within certain areas of our system.” BILL DRIES fee from $120 to $90 as part of a larger more locations and more riders. The Semmes-Murphey-sponsored Explore Bike Courtesy of The Daily Memphian change in pricing. Bike share data show that since the Share station on the Memphis side of Big River Cross- Explore Bike Share is allowing us- The nonprofit that launched last May May launch, the average ride per user is ing is the most-used in the citywide system. Moore ers to dock the bicycles at any publicly with 600 bikes and 60 bike stations made 45 minutes. said talks are just beginning with other potential accessible bike rack in its service area the changes effective Monday. “That is a higher ride average than sponsors, including owners of apartment complexes, and dropping its annual membership The updates are aimed at having what you would find nationally or an large employers and small businesses. INSIDE Columns ............................ 3 memphisdailynews.com chandlerreports.com Public Records ................ 4 ©2019 The Daily News Publishing Company A division of The Daily News Publishing Company Memphis, Tennessee The standard for premium real estate Established 1886 • 134th year information since 1968 Public Notices ............... 11 Call 901.523.1561 to subscribe Call 901.458.6419 for more information Page 2 MemphisDailyNews.com Wednesday, April 3, 2019 U-Haul buys vacant Kmart in Raleigh “I think this was the last Kmart open in traditional way. our part of the world,” Buring said. “… It’s Hardin, Raleigh store manager Eliza- got to be the biggest (retail) building that beth Simpson and other employees were has sold in Memphis in a long time.” busy Monday establishing a temporary The Kmart at 3201 Austin Peay was on a showroom for selling boxes and other list of 64 Kmarts announced in September goods. 2016 to be closed across the United States At least 10 people will be employed at the by the owner, Sears Holdings. site once U-Haul is fully operational there, The Phoenix-based U-Haul will divide company spokesman Jeff Lockridge said. the building into storage units of various U-Haul purchased about a dozen of sizes to be rented to customers. The site the former Kmart stores in recent months, also will rent trucks, install trailer hitches, including the former Kmart in Jackson, sell propane fuel and sell boxes and other Tennessee. moving supplies from the retail space that U-Haul operates more than 1,800 com- employees were busy preparing Monday. pany-owned stores, and about 70 percent of “We’ll touch it up and give something them are adaptive-reuse properties like at the community will be proud of,” Chris Har- Raleigh’s old Kmart. din said of the massive building. Hardin is The company has focused on buying president of U-Haul Company of Memphis. and adapting older buildings for several U-Haul operates nine company-owned decades. “It’s just easier for a company to locations in Shelby County. turn around a store quickly for the sake of Raleigh U-Haul store manager Elizabeth Simpson (left) and area manager Chris Hardin lead the work Monday, April 1, 2019, to open U-Haul’s newest site, where Kmart closed at 3201 Eight months will likely pass before the our customers,” Lockridge said of adaptive Austin Peay more than two years ago. (Tom Bailey/Courtesy of The Daily Memphian) storage units are ready to rent at the new reuse. “And the city and community love Raleigh site, Hardin said. it because we’re removing blight. No one However, U-Haul will provide some ser- wants an empty building sitting around.” TOM BAILEY has bought the 173,583-square-foot build- vices out of temporary space there while the Four years ago, U-Haul bought the his- Courtesy of The Daily Memphian ing on 27 acres for $1.6 million, Danny Bur- renovations are underway. toric but dilapidated Rawleigh Building at The big-box building where Kmart ing said. He and Robert Sloan, both of The On Monday, a handful of U-Haul trucks 139 W. Illinois and renovated it for storage closed in late 2016 is getting new life as U- Shopping Center Group, represented the already were parked in front of the build- and rentals. That building had for decades Haul Moving and Storage of Raleigh. seller in the transaction that was completed ing. They can be rented using U-Haul’s been a towering eyesore at the southern en- The truck-rental and storage business last week. Truck Share 24/7 online service or the more trance to Downtown, near I-55 and Crump. City Council returns to Memphis 3.0 plan BILL DRIES The 20-year Memphis 3.0 plan was Courtesy of The Daily Memphian delayed after a group of North Memphis Memphis City Council members re- activists led by Carnita Atwater, head turn Tuesday to two items delayed at of the community development corpo- their last meeting of March. ration for the Firestone area, said they The council is to take the first of had not been consulted by city planners. three votes on the Memphis 3.0 long- The city administration said they range land use and development plan were consulted but planned to talk with that was delayed at the March 19 meet- the group further during the interim. At ing. The council also votes on the agree- a weekend protest in North Memphis, ment between the city administration Atwater said she and the group would and Graceland for further expansion of be back at City Hall Tuesday calling for Construction has begun on a $25 million Shelby County Health Department headquarters. Graceland’s Whitehaven campus. That the body to vote down the citywide plan, (Rendering courtesy of brg3s) too was delayed at the previous council the first long range land use and devel- session.