Bike-lending program to begin this fall

The Student Senate recently approved a special allocations request, proposed by Ian Cramer, April 8 for $10,000 to implement a bicycle lending program here on the AU campus.

“This program, which starts this fall, will benefit the entire campus and any student, faculty, staff or administration member at AU is eligible for the program,” Cramer said.

Many members of the AU community may be familiar with a bike-sharing program, although this is not what AU will be receiving. There are fundamental differences between the costs and benefits, Cramer specified.

A bike-sharing program is where university-owned bikes are scattered across campus without locks, and students are able to use any of these bikes when they see them. For example, when students leave class and use bikes to travel from one building on campus to another, they can leave the bikes unlocked in the rack for the next individuals in need of transport.

With the sharing program, “these bikes are not locked up and no one is responsible them, therefore they will be vandalized, stolen and trashed,” Cramer said. “If Alfred had this type of program, it would die out very quickly.”

Cramer felt that such a program would be doomed from the outset despite its high level of popularity among students. However, by creating a level of accountability for the bikes through the lenders, a bicycle lending program has the ability to combat vandalism and theft, Cramer explained.

The program beginning in the fall will be analogous to the process of checking out a book at the library, Cramer said. The bikes will be individually rented out, leaving the renter with the responsibility of the vehicle’s security, just like with any library book, Cramer added.

“Unlike the traditional sharing programs, there is a cost for maintenance and sustainability,” Cramer said.

The bikes and equipment will be rented out on a time period basis: either two days costing $3 or one week costing $5, each with a late fee if the time period is exceeded, Cramer said. Payment can be made in the form of personal checks, cash or through student accounts, Cramer added.

Every penny of the money paid by the lenders will be placed back into the bike lending account to be allocated toward maintaining equipment and keeping the program running, Cramer specified.

This program will run out of a renovated room on the top floor of Davis Gym, where the bikes and equipment will be stored, Cramer said. There will also be an on-campus bicycle repair shop located on-site where students can bring their bikes to be serviced.

Within the bicycle repair shop will be the bike lending office with a work-study student tending to it, Cramer explained. This is where individuals can go to receive the bike, cable lock and helmet when participating in the program.

“The student body has already expressed much interest in this program, and we hope it will be in place Fall 2009,” Cramer said.

Students interested in learning more about this program can e-mail Ian Cramer at imc2@alfred.edu.