Third Bcycle Station Opens at KCC

A third bicycle sharing center has opened in Battle Creek. Seven bikes are now located at Kellogg Community College in the parking lot outside the Lane-Thomas Building. The station, developed by BCycle in Waterloo, Wis., is a joint project of the college, Bronson Battle Creek, the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau, under the auspices of the Battle Creek Community Foundation.

The first station was installed at Burnham Brook Community Center at 200 W. Michigan Ave. in August 2013, according to Angela Myers, the foundation's Regional Health Alliance Program Health Manager. A second station was installed last fall at the Riverwalk Center downtown at 34 W. Jackson St. The KCC station holds seven Trek bicycles which can be rented for 24 hours for $5. Thirty day and annual passes also are available for $15 and $30 respectively. Only the day passes are available at the bicycle site while the longer passes are available from websites of the foundation or BCycle, Myers said Wednesday.

TeamActive bicycle store employees check the bicycles each week to ensure they are working properly. Myers said vandalism has not been a problem with the program, which is located in 41 cities in the United States and South America. Myers said the foundation would like to expand the program to other locations in Battle Creek. The only other Michigan city with BCycles is Ann Arbor. Myers said officials have not compiled information about use of the bikes but said most appears to be on the weekend and for leisure.

Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson.