Nice Ride, the nonprofit bike rental outfit that manages the fleet of 1,500 bicycles around the Twin Cities, now has a fleet in Bemidji, its first nonmetro location.
Nice Ride Bemidji has 200 orange bikes in three locations, with a fourth, at Lake Bemidji State Park, coming soon.
Melinda Neville, manager of Nice Ride Bemidji, told the Bemidji Pioneer:
“Bemidji is the only community outside the metropolitan area that offers Nice Ride, so this is really our first shot at working with a smaller community. We’re making it up as we go. We are innovating every day to improve and make our bikes accessible and easy to rent.”
About 600 rides have been taken since the program began in June; most were free, with a $12 discount available for Bemidji residents. Usual prices are $6 per hour, $20 for four hours, $25 for a day, and $80 for a week.
“And with college at BSU starting soon, the bikes are expected to get even more use. A total of 100 of the 200 orange bicycles are stationed on campus in hopes students and faculty will give Nice Ride a try and opt to ditch their cars for a change,” the story said.
So far, no major problems have been reported. Three riders lost keys during their rental, but all were eventually found.
