Free bikes on campus

[Toaster]

interesting NY times article about universities with bike share or free/discounted bike programs. It's too bad that our fleet of green bikes on campus were stolen/vandalized so quickly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/education/20bikes.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

[Toaster]

more awesome NY times content, be sure to watch the video as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/sports/othersports/14cycling.html?scp=1&sq=dave%20wiens&st=cse

[Sal Atticum]

I could have sworn I had posted this:  a Bicycling article about the same thing.

[Sal Atticum]

interesting NY times article about universities with bike share or free/discounted bike programs. It's too bad that our fleet of green bikes on campus were stolen/vandalized so quickly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/education/20bikes.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

It really is too bad.  There are still a few green bikes out there; the problem is that they are all being ridden around downtown by non-students.

[Sal Atticum]

The comments on the first article are very interesting.  They do point out the problem of people having their very own bicycles but having no idea of the rules of the road or (more importantly for their happiness) how to care for them, lube the chain, change brake pads, fix a flat, etc.  Maybe we could do something about that?

[Windbreak]

Here's something that might be of interest, given the present conversation, and a way of getting we cyclists' interests voiced:

Cheers, Mike
--
(forwarded message follows)



President asks U community to complete commuting survey
 
Dear UND community,

Last week you received an email inviting you to take a survey about commuting habits on the UND campus.  We are conducting this survey as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment.  The goal of the survey is to gather information from the UND community in order to complete our first campus Greenhouse Gas Inventory report.

We send our sincere thanks to those of you who have already completed the survey.  If you have not taken the survey yet, we strongly encourage you to do so today.  While your participation in this survey is voluntary, it is also very important.  It is only through your input that we can better understand our carbon footprint.  I would like to encourage you to please complete the survey today by using the link below; it should take no longer than 5 minutes of your time.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Y3f8hFEEWTBiWlIbtBhi_2bg_3d_3d 

Thank you for your participation.

Robert O.Kelley
President

[Sal Atticum]

I sort of like this system.  I wonder how much it costs: http://www.freewheelinwaytogo.com/fwpilot.aspx

[Plantains]

1. NY times is a joke.
2. This is how we do it in Buffalo. It was what I proposed, but the logistics require a little more startup cost.

http://www.buffalobluebicycle.org/

[Sal Atticum]

What do you have against the NYT?

I understand how the Buffalo system works, but it involves more planning and internet access.  That seems to be the way my undergrad has gone as well, where you have to check bikes out from the Library, which doesn't help you when you're across campus in the first place.  There's too much infrastructure with either system, in my opinion, and I think the Paris program is probably one of the best (if you've got the startup capitol).

When I was in Australia, the bike shop had a deal where if you sold your bike back to them at the end of the semester, you were guaranteed 50% back of what you paid for it.  Long term rental/buy might be something useful at UND...however as Guardail and I were talking about the other day, everyone on campus HAS a bike--they just don't ride.

So maybe the question is not accessibility, it's motivation.  How do you get people to realize that cycling is so much better than walking, driving, or riding the bus to class (or wherever)?