Transportation
Bike-Share, Meet Canoe-Share
A pilot program in Minnesota will combine bike-share with canoes and kayaks to encourage multimodal travel around the Mississippi River.
In the Twin Cities, shared transportation is headed off-road: The National Park Service is planning a combination canoe- and bike-share pilot, scheduled to launch next year. The project will open a short stretch of the Mississippi River to increased recreational use with canoe/bike stations at appropriate launch points (probably three of them).
In combination with existing trails, restrooms, and Nice Ride Minnesota bike-share stations, the shared boats will allow amateur paddlers to craft a multimodal water-based outing—perhaps involving a canoe trip downstream, a break for a picnic lunch, and a bike ride back to the point of origin—without investing in expensive equipment.