U of C launches new bike share program
September 15, 2009
Getting around campus just got a whole lot easier. With 20 free bikes supplied by the Office of Sustainability, students, faculty and staff can travel the campus and neighborhood quickly and cleanly using pedal power. The program, recycle, launches September 21. Bikes will be available at four buildings on campus during this pilot program that will run through the end of this quarter. You must first register online to be eligible.
As part of its sustainability commitment, the University is seeking to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use and encourage cycling across campus and around town. Campus bike programs have multiple benefits including building community, decreasing waste and pollution, improving the landscape, encouraging healthy living, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The program’s relatively low-tech design enables us to offer it free to users. It also allows us to partner with Blackstone Bikes, a nonprofit organization in Woodlawn that mentors young people in the neighborhood. We are further minimizing our impact on the environment by using previously owned bikes. All bikes have been retrofitted and will be maintained by the shop, located at 6100 S. Blackstone.
Word has already gotten out about the bike share program. Jessica Graves, a second year in the College is excited about having access to bikes on campus. “The bike program is so sweet! I have thought about bringing my bike to Chicago in the past but it was such a hassle, especially when I thought about where to store it for the winter. Having bikes that we can all share just makes more sense.”
During the pilot phase, each bike must be returned the same day it is checked out and to the same location. At the end of the quarter in December we will assess the program and decide whether to expand. Until then, go for a ride and make a “wheel difference for the environment”.
Bike Share Locations:
- Ratner Athletics Center: 5530 S. Ellis Avenue
- School of Social Service Administration: 969 E. 60th Street
- Regenstein Library: 1100 E. 57th Street
- NSIT: 6045 S. Kenwood
You can read the Bike Share FAQ here
You can register at www.universitybikeshare.com. Registration is easy and takes only a few minutes.
