'Nice Ride' in Mpls.

Ditching the car in urban environments — and jumping on a bike instead — is a healthy trend in the U.S. right now. Minneapolis is the latest city to introduce a bike-share program to give people in the city quick access to pedal power.

The new Nice Ride system includes 1,000 bikes and 60 secure kiosks around the city — all for public use. Beginning this month, customers can rent a bike for a short trip or a day-long tour of the city. Nice Ride’s mission is “To enhance the quality of our urban life by providing a convenient, easy-to-use bike sharing program that will provide residents and visitors a healthy, fun, different way to get around town.”

The idea is simple: A trip starts when you take a bike and ends when you return it to any kiosk. Anyone looking to use the program must purchase a subscription (available in lengths from one day at $5 to one year for $60), and then pay a fee based on time the bike is away from the kiosk. The first 30 minutes are free. Riders can pay by credit card at a bike-dispensing kiosk.

The Nice Rides bikes are all the same size, but they do allow for the seat height to be adjusted. Kiosks will operate April through November. For Minneapolis residents and visitors, there’s never been a better time to ditch your car and ride in the city.

—T.C. Worley