Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include comments from BikeWalkKC.
The “cruiser” style bicycles that were for rent at three Johnson County parks will be going away this year, as the park district board mulls how to replace a service that consistently lost money.
The governing board voted to not continue its contract with BikeWalkKC for the program that allowed visitors to rent bikes by the minute at Shawnee Mission, Heritage and Meadowbrook parks. Park staff will bring back options for other bike services — which could include mountain bikes — at the board’s March meeting.
Rental revenues have not covered the operating costs of the program for every quarter since the program began in 2021, according to a county spreadsheet. By the end of four years, the total gap was about $300,000.
Usage of park rental bikes dropped
In an arrangement with BikeWalkKC, the county purchases the bikes, which are serviced and stored by BikeWalkKC. The county started the program with a fleet of 70 bikes for rent, but that number dropped to 42 in 2023.
The bikes got the most use in Shawnee Mission Park, but ridership never was high enough to break even. The number of trips dropped steadily, with 4,250 when the program was new and 1,869 for 2024.
There were several drawbacks to the rental program that may have limited ridership, said Bill Maasen, superintendent of parks and golf courses. For one thing, the bikes could only be used within the parks.
Also, the bikes were not e-bikes with pedal-assisted battery power, and they only were available in adult sizes. That was problematic for families with children who wanted to ride, he said.
Replacement was too expensive for park board
As the rental bikes approached the end of their useful life, park board members were faced with a decision: replace them and continue the contract, or explore other options, Maasen said.
Replacement would be expensive. The upright bikes for rent have a sturdier frame than the average cruiser style because of the repeated use and the fact that they spend March through October outdoors, Maasen said. They have been about $4,000 apiece.
That is close to the price of e-bikes, which also come with batteries and electronics to enable the software and locating technology. However, the park district lacks the capital to replace them, according to the January minutes of the Park and Golf Course Committee.
The park board members decided to pay for the first quarter of this year, about $16,000. In March, the staff will present other options.
One possibility is for mountain bike frames suitable for the park’s single track and pump tracks. Maasen said the staff may also look at a rental program through a local bike shop.
The board’s decision has no impact on visitors riding their bikes in the parks.
BikeWalkKC said user satisfaction was high
In emailed comments to the Post, BikeWalkKC executive director Eric Rogers rued the park board’s decision to not renew the contract.
Rogers pointed out that BikeWalkKC’s annual customer surveys showed users of the Johnson County park bikes consistently expressed their satisfaction with the program, with 91% of riders giving the park bikes four stars or more and 92% saying they were “likely” or “very likely” to recommend them to other riders.
Rogers also pointed out that BikeWalkKC, to answer the park board’s concerns about cost, had pushed parks officials to pursue several federal grants that would have covered up to 80% of the cost to upgrade the fleet to e-bikes and continue the program.
He also disputed the notion that the program was a revenue loser.
“JCPRD knew exactly how much the program was going to cost and agreed to provide the funding. It was never expected to ‘break even,'” Rogers said.
“What the general public may not know is that most bike share systems are offered as an amenity to the public, with customer rental fees covering only a fraction of the actual cost. These programs almost always rely on the annual appropriation of public funds to fully support the operation and maintenance. JCPRD’s decision to stop funding the bike program should not be misconstrued as a failure of the program to produce revenue.”
Other county parks news: Federal dollars could help pay for new trails around former JoCo industrial site
