Exploring BikeLNK’s Bikeshare System
In the last 15 years, bike sharing services have quickly become a staple service of most major cities around the world. There are around 50 cities with bikeshare in the US today (Lincoln’s BikeLNK included), servicing tens of millions of rides every year! With nearly 20% of every US household’s expenses every year spent on transportation, finding affordable and comprehensive options are in a community’s best interest. Like BikeLNK’s bikeshare program, bikeshare programs around the world work to address the cost of transportation and to offer healthy options for riders and the community at large.
Strengths of Pedal-Power
Bikeshare’s strengths lie in accessibility and affordability. If you know how to ride a bike, bikeshare is for you! If you utilize the Bikeshare system as you travel, it can differ somewhat from city to city, including cities where the process is very unlike what riders are used to in Lincoln. Some, like Kansas City’s bikeshare, operate similarly to the Lime and Bird scooters Lincoln uses. RideKC is a dockless system, where bikes can be abandoned anywhere within the geofence set up by their internal trackers. If you’ve ever tried Lincoln’s scootershare, you’ve probably noticed that the scooters shut off at a certain distance from the City’s center – KC bikeshare operates in the same way.
BikeLNK is a docked system, meaning that bikes are required to be returned to one of the (currently) 21 docks located in and around Lincoln’s downtown. This most common US type of bikeshare requires significantly less back-end maintenance and overhead cost than a dockless system. While dockless systems are more accessible, they’re also usually more expensive, where rides can be charged by the minute.
The placement of stations is critical to a docked system, which is why BikeLNK maintains a convenient balance between accessibility and affordability. Stations are placed at popular locations around the city for work and play, and offering unlimited rides within the time-span you pay for (1-day, 3-day, 1-month, or 1-year), reducing unintended overrun costs.
A Brief BikeLNK Tour Guide
Lincoln is an amazing place to discover on a bike. Nebraska is rated 48th out of 50 states in terms of bicycle friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists, but Lincoln’s system of on-street routes, bike lanes, and trails is one that many similarly-sized cities would envy. Bikeshare enhances cycling culture in Lincoln greatly, and has some carefully oriented stations with some great nearby destinations. Here are three must-visit stations in Lincoln:
21st & ‘Q’ - BikeLNK’s 21st & ‘Q’ station is a picturesque station thanks to the Antelope Valley Floodway project featuring a paved bike trail, creative landscaping, and a trail center. Here, access to the trail system is the biggest draw. It is one of the most popular stations for recreational rides with a beautiful mix of flowers and native botanicals, inviting water features, and weaving trails that channel the natural sprawling state of the Platte River. The area, also home to the popular Hub Café, a BikeLNk sponsor, whose deck scenically overlooks the space. While there are few other stations to the south if you were to follow the trail, this is a great starting-point for a there-and-back recreational ride.
14th & ‘P’- Lincoln’s downtown has so much to offer, especially along the block where this station is located. This area has something for everyone, and is surely one of the hippest spots in town. Lincoln’s eclectic downtown area offers something for everyone - food, art, movies, specialty businesses, and a diverse music scene offering everything from metal to hip hop.
21st & ‘L’ - While the last two stations are more recreational destinations, the Telegraphic District is certainly more business-oriented. This station is used by many professionals and students as a way to get to and from the office, or take clients out on the town. Large, well known Lincoln-based businesses have offices in the Telegraph District, but it also boasts popular coffee shops, eateries, and a grocery coop.
More options - BikeLNK also sports three stations in downtown’s popular and thriving Haymarket district, where locals and visitors can conveniently grab a ride. BikeLNK is always looking for ways to expand the system, making it even more accessible to people across the city. Recreational rides are great but people using the system regularly to get where they need to go is where bikeshare really shines, so more stations where people live is an important next step. At the end of the day, BikeLNK is in the business of making Lincoln a connected, cohesive, affordable and overall joyful city in which to live and ride. Learn more about BikeLNK.
