Kansas City B Cycle, Missouri's first municipal bike sharing program, celebrates its first anniversary

Kansas City B Cycle--which rolled out in time for the All Star Game in Kansas City last year--is celebrating its first anniversary.

Kansas City B Cycle sent this summary of its accomplishments over the first year and its plans for the future:

Kansas City B-cycle Powered by Blue KC celebrates our first anniversary on July 3rd. It’s been a whole year since you helped us build and launch the world’s first and only bike share system owned and operated by local bike advocates.   Celebrate with a free trial on July 3rd If you haven’t tried Kansas City B-cycle yet, we invite you to give it a try on Wednesday with a free 24 Hour Membership. Membership gets you unlimited bike checkouts. Already have a membership? Feel free to use the code below to take a friend on a ride.   Take advantage of this offer in one of two ways... 1. Sign up online at https://kansascity.bcycle.com/joinnow.aspx and use the promo code “kconeyear”. Then swipe your card at any B-station to activate and use your new membership.  or 2. Walk up to any B-station and and use the promo code “070313”   Valid credit/debit card is required to get a free 24 Hour Membership. You may check out a bike as many times as you want during your 24 hours. Rides under 30 minutes have no additional charge, but usage fee of $2 per half hour applies for any checkouts last more than 30 minutes.   Our progress so far In eight months of operation our members have recorded some impressive numbers: 7,500 trips 2,700 memberships sold 160 Annual Memberships 21,000 miles - This is the equivalent of 18 trips from KC to NYC or 85% of the way around the Earth! 20,000 pounds of carbon offset 851,000 calories burned or the equivalent burning off 1,800 cheeseburgers. The future - Expansion. We are listening to you - We know there is a demand for B-stations in more neighborhoods!   Our current goal is to expand to the Midtown, Plaza, and UMKC/Rockhurst areas. This summer we are hard at work fundraising and recruiting corporate sponsors to partner with us on new B-stations. If your organization would like to be a part of this expansion, or you want to help expand the stations please contact us at 816-205-7056 ext. 2 or info@bikewalkkc.org.   Impact BikeWalkKC partnered with Blue KC to create B-cycle as way to take KC to the next level and catalyze the city’s transformation into a healthier and more mobile, sustainable, competitive, and livable community. The City of KCMO supported bike share with a commitment to create more bike lanes to connect B-stations and to benefit people who bike in Kansas City. As we mark our first year, the city is beginning to deliver on that commitment with new bike lanes and sharrows coming to Charlotte, Holmes, and Cherry Streets, plus Southwest Boulevard.   Next year we are excited for even more bike lanes in time for year 3 of KC B-cycle: Grand Boulevard from the River Market, through the Loop and Crossroads, to Crown Center - connecting four B-stations! 20th Street, the first phase of an exciting “Complete Streets” project 19th Street all the way over to the 18th and Vine Jazz District Beardsley Road on the Westside

The Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking is proud to have played a part in making Kansas City B Cycle possible, by acting as fiscal sponsor for one of the key grants that launched Kansas City B Cycle.

Find out more about Kansas City B Cycle, become a member of B Cycle, or donate in support of B Cycle on the Kansas City B Cycle web site.