Volunteers Pedal 90 Bikes Downtown for Kansas City B-Cycle Launch

Kansas City, MO June 26, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2012

Media Contacts
Sarah Shipley
Kansas City B-cycle
shipleycommunications@gmail.com
202.577.7141

Holly Eckold
For Blue KC
heckold@morningstarcomm.com
913.660.9656

Volunteers Pedal 90 Bikes Downtown for Kansas City B-cycle Launch

Inaugural bike ride rolls new bike share system of transportation to downtown Kansas City

Kansas City, MO – Kansas City B-cycle, powered by Blue KC, will officially launch bike share in Kansas City on July 3, 2012. Comprised of 90 bicycles and 12 downtown docking stations (B-stations), bike share offers a healthy and environmentally-friendly public transportation option for short trips around the city. Launching right before All Star Game festivities, bike share is targeted to both tourists and Kansas City residents.

Kansas City B-cycle will host a three-mile bike ride over the Missouri River into Downtown on July 3. Volunteers will ride the bikes from the warehouse where the bikes were assembled and over the bike/pedestrian path on the Heart of America Bridge around 11:30 a.m. Volunteers will pause for lunch sponsored by Spin! Pizza and celebratory speeches in Ilus Davis Park (11th and Oak near City Hall) around 12:30 p.m. At 1:15 p.m. volunteers will split up and ride to the 12 various B-stations throughout the city to dock the bikes.

Kansas City B-cycle, created by a partnership between BikeWalkKC and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), aims to change the face of transportation in Kansas City by offering an environmentally friendly, healthy and accessible way for residents and visitors to get around the city.

Users can check out a bicycle at any one of the 12 B-stations and return it to any other B-station within the system. Station locations include the Crossroads, River Market, Union Station and Crown Center. For a full list of station locations, visit http://kansascity.bcycle.com. Station maps are also featured on every docking station.

Kansas City B-cycle aims to fill gaps within the current transportation system including solving the issue of the "final mile" of a commute. The bikes will be available seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight, and at least nine months out of the year. Users can download a free smartphone app called "B-cycle" for maps of B-stations and real time bike availability.

A variety of pricing options exist, from daily to an annual membership. Pricing is determined by the length of the ride. After purchasing an access pass (daily, weekly, monthly or annual) you are charged based on the time span of your ride. A ride less than 30 minutes is free. Each additional 30 minutes is $2. Users who purchase an annual membership pass ($65) will receive a B-cycle card similar to a credit card that gets swiped at the B-station. If a rider doesn't have an annual membership, they can swipe a credit card to pay per ride. For more pricing information, visit http://kansascity.bcycle.com/pricing.aspx.

The bike share system provides environment and health benefits, improving air quality and encouraging physical activity. The bikes will keep track of riders' trips, miles traveled, calories burned and carbon dioxide savings. Corporate partners can integrate bike sharing with their existing wellness and sustainability programs. Kansas City B-cycle will be able to provide local decision makers with valuable new data to aid in urban planning, sustainability planning and public health promotions.

"At Blue KC we are very excited to get Kansas City B-cycle up and running. The small choices we make every day have a huge impact on our overall wellness," said David Gentile, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue KC. "We are proud to support this healthy form of transportation that gives residents an opportunity to exercise while navigating the city."

Kansas City B-cycle is still in need of local sponsors to help make the system a success. Organizations can support Kansas City B-Cycle through sponsorship agreements and advertising on bikes and/or docking stations. Each bicycle and station has six unique and highly visible placement options for advertisements. Organizations interested in supporting this innovative system can visit http://kansascity.bcycle.com/About/BecomeaSponsor.aspx for more information.

"Loyal and dedicated volunteers have been essential for making Kansas City B-cycle a reality," said BikeWalkKC Executive Director Eric Rogers. "More than 70 people rallied to help us assemble the 90 bicycles. We have been blown away by the huge public interest and strong support for bike sharing and the ways it will make our city a better place to live and work."

About BikeWalk KC

BikeWalkKC is the unified voice for active living, promoting a healthy, safe and accessible outdoor experience for all in a vibrant, engaged community. BikeWalkKC is a member-supported organization that works to make Greater Kansas City a safer and more accessible place to walk, bicycle, live, work, and play. The advocacy programs work with local cities to improve policies and build sidewalks, trails, crosswalks, bike lanes, and more. BikeWalkKC's education programs give people the knowledge and skills to walk and to bicycle safely and confidently for transportation, recreation, and fitness. Learn more at BikeWalkKC.org.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. *Ranked by J.D. Power and Associates in 2012 as "Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Heartland Region," Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to use our role as the area's leading health insurer to provide affordable access to health care and to improve the health and wellness of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com.

* Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City received the highest numerical score among commercial health plans in the Heartland region (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska) in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Member Health Plan Study^SM. Study based on 32,868 total member responses, measuring nine plans in the Heartland Region (excludes Medicare and Medicaid). Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of members surveyed December 2011-January 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

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