Walk Bike Nashville members are big fans of bike share and e-bikes (nearly 100 people told us about their love for e-bikes) and many rely on them to move through the city. Last week, the community was surprised to learn nine BCycle stations would be relocated at the request of Metro Parks, upsetting many users and drumming up questions about bike share access in Nashville. We want to know why Metro Parks has called for the removal of BCycles from our parks and greenways.
https://www.walkbikenashville.org/why_bcycle_is_leaving_our_parks?locale=en
In an announcement last week, Nashville BCycle shared that they will be temporarily closing nine of their bike share stations so that they can be relocated and opened by early October. All nine locations are currently in Metro Parks: Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, Percy Priest Dam Trailhead, Parthenon, Centennial Park, 5th Ave. S. and Demonbreun, Ted Rhodes Golf Course, McCabe Community Center, and Morgan Park.
It was unclear why this decision as e-bikes and bike share services surge in other cities. In February of 2022, The Greenways and Open Space Commission voted to take no action to regulate e-bikes on greenways, recommending a broader study of the greenway system before making any policy changes regarding the issue.
Throughout the whole study process, BCycle agreed to not open their stations located near greenways. In May 2022, BCycle was instructed to return their bikes to the Parks stations. Over the summer they were told to remove them. And here we are today, wondering why.
Walk Bike Nashville shares the frustration and confusion many have expressed about the decision to move BCycle stations off Metro Parks property. For follow up read comments.
If you're in Davidson County contact your council member and ask them to get some answers about this Parks Board action. If you're not in Nashville but have friends ask them to contact their council member.
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