We Take Safety Seriously.

The Board of Directors of Nice Ride Minnesota is serious about safety—for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. We all ride bikes and we believe that more people biking and walking makes a better city. We are also moms and dads, downtown workers, business owners and government employees. We know that safety comes first.

Safe cycling education will be a core service of Nice Ride Minnesota.

Minneapolis Is A Great City For People Who Bike.

Minneapolis is one of the top ten biking cities in the world.¹ Based on 2007 census data, Minneapolis ranks second for the percentage of commuters who bike to work, among the 50 cities with the most workers. www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/MinneapolisClosesGap.asp

Minneapolis is about to get even better. In 2010, the city of Minneapolis expects to double the number of miles of bike lanes in the city, from 39 miles to 80 miles! You will notice the biggest difference downtown. With the completion of the MARQ2 project on 2nd and Marquette Avenues, buses will be moving off Nicollet Mall, leaving the mall open to bikes. New bike lanes will also improve connections between existing bike trails, downtown and the University of Minnesota campus.

The More People Who Use Bikes For Transportation, The Safer Cycling Becomes For Everyone.

In Minneapolis, and in cities around the world, experience has shown as the number of people cycling increases, accident rates decrease. As reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

A closer look reveals that the numbers of both bicycle crashes and injuries are down statewide, even as the number of bicyclists is increasing. There's safety in those numbers, some say, because it makes drivers constantly aware they're sharing the road with bicyclists.
. . .
Cycling swells in Minneapolis
Crashes and injuries are down markedly in Minneapolis, where the number of people who use bikes for transportation continues to swell. The Midtown Greenway saw a 24 percent increase in ridership in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period of 2008. Ridership from March through December last year was up 32 percent over the same period the year before, said Shaun Murphy, coordinator of a non-motorized transportation pilot program for the city. Murphy said he expects increases of 10 percent to 30 percent this year. The percentage of Minneapolis residents who bike to work increased from 1.6 in 1990 to 3.8 in 2007, according to the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, bike crashes in Minneapolis last year were near their lowest point since 1993. Even with a spike in 2007, the average number of crashes from 2000 through 2007 dropped 24 percent from what it had been the previous seven years.
"More bicyclists mean more drivers are more aware that they need to be looking for bicyclists," said Michelle Poyourow, advocacy manager for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Oregon, whose largest city, Portland, has the highest rate of bicycling transportation in the United States. "And drivers are more likely to be bicyclists themselves." Portland saw a six-fold increase in bike traffic into downtown between 1991 and 2007, while the number of crashes remained relatively flat.
. . .
'Got to let the drivers know'
Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia agreed that the increase in bicyclists has helped make the "share the road" message more acceptable. "But we're also reminding bicyclists that if they are going to be on the road, they need to follow the same rules as vehicles -- stop for stoplights, signal a turn. You've got to let the drivers know what you're going to do.

The above excerpts are found in article “There’s Safety in Numbers for Those on Bikes,” by journalist Bill McAuliffe of the Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune. Printed on July 23, 2009.

For more information regarding the correlation between increased cycling and cyclist safety, see Non-Profit Business Plan for Twin Cities Bike Share Program, pp. 31-33.

Bike Sharing Bikes Are Built For SAFETY.

Bike sharing bikes are designed and maintained for city riding. The rider is in an upright position, good for watching traffic or dropping a foot at an intersection. They are easy to handle. Front and rear lights are on whenever the wheels are turning. Reflective surfaces are built in.

We recommend that everyone wear a helmet.

Nice Ride Minnesota will encourage subscribers to wear helmets and will help subscribers purchase helmets. We want people to keep an extra helmet in their office or locker. Bike sharing systems (there are now over 100 worldwide) do not offer helmets for rental at the bike kiosks because it is not possible to ensure that a helmet fits properly and has not been damaged.

Bike Sharing Is Not For Youth Under Age 16.

Bike Sharing bikes are sized for adults. They will be used on city streets, so knowledge of traffic laws is required. The bike share system will not be available to children under the age of 16.

[1] Stephen Regenold, “World’s Top 10 Biking Cities,” Travel &Leisure Magazine (July 2009) (“Like many of the world’s best biking cities, Minneapolis has built an infrastructure that promotes bicycling on many fronts. From bike lockers and designated street lanes to recreational trails and snowplows dedicated to clearing off-street paths, a system exists to make transportation on a bike efficient, safe, and hassle-free.”)