Cedar Rapids, IA - You've heard of this "Bike Share" program and you've seen these green bike racks popping up all over downtown. But, where are the bikes?
We started our hunt early and found several empty green bike racks, but still no bikes...
Then we got a tip, from our friend, Jaymz Larson. Larson owns Jimmy Z's a popular downtown bar & grill at 112 2nd Street SE. Larson arrived this morning to a bit of a surprise in front of his business.
At that moment "The VeoRide Hunt" was on...
Just a short distance from Larson's business we spotted another green bike rack, empty, just a half block away. We continue and discover another VeoRide Bike tucked in next to Cobble Hill at 219 2nd street SE.
It was getting interesting now... and, made us start to wonder, where will these bike end up at?
So we continue walking and a few minutes later, we found another. Adjacent to Grin N Goose 227 2nd Ave SE. All VeoRide Bikes where within a block of green bike racks.
So we began to ask questions. We just found 3 VeoRide Bikes and they weren't where we thought they would be. We ventured forth for answers...
What we were able to find were more questions.... and VeoRide Bike in very conspicuous locations throughout downtown. And some places you may not expect. We found this next one at Chrome Horse Saloon at 1201 3rd Street SE in the New Bohemia District. Within a block of more green bike racks.
This is getting bizarre, what's going on??
We found our answers on VeoRides website. Here.
Here are a few tips we learned from the website.
1. Use the VeoRide App (available in the IPhone & Android App Stores) to find an available bike. (the app will need permission to access location) So we did that. and this is what that looked like:
We also discovered the answers to the question we had on our adventure.
Where exactly are you supposed to Park/Find these bikes? From the VeoRide website:
Where should I park/return my bike or e-scooter?
The app shows a map of appropriate geofenced parking areas. Please park the bike or scooter in an upright position, in areas for bike or scooter parking, such as public bike racks or other designated parking zones. On sidewalks, give at least 3 feet of clearance for accessibility. It is important that the bike or scooter does not impede pedestrian access, nor block car traffic or encroach on private property.
From the VeoRide website to the community:
"If a VeoRide bike is parked in an area where it’s not supposed to be (for example, lying down on my property, left in the middle of a sidewalk, blocking my shop entrance, inside my building, etc.). How do I report it?
We are sorry for the inconvenience. VeoRide strives to be good neighbors. Please contact us at 855-836-2256 or hello@veoride.com to report the problem. If you can locate the vehicle’s ID number (located on the handlebar or lock), please report that information to us. Otherwise, inform us of the vehicle’s address. Our operations team will address the situation immediately."
For more detailed info, just visit the VeoRide website.
So the mystery is solved! It turns out the bikes do not have to be returned to the green bike racks, just out of the way. And, relatively easy to locate. But you will definitely need to use the app. As time goes by, these bikes will get dispersed farther from the center of the service area.
The one out by Van Vechten Park hasn't moved all morning.... >>TNNLive
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