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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

IUSA supports bike share program

IUSA recently passed a resolution supporting the implementation of a bike share program, as well as the release of a survey gauging student interest in the implementation of a bike share program.

Because enough interest and demand exist to support multiple bike share programs, the program would supplement, rather than replace, Crimson Cruisers, the current bike share program, Jalen Watkins said.

“We’re supplying students, faculty and staff with bikes, so we’re always helping someone,” said Watkins, one of the resolution’s ?sponsors.

Watkins said the ideal bike share program would provide more bikes than the current program.

“Crimson Cruisers is a pretty creative program,” he said. “But I think it was used mainly as a gauge, to gauge the interest of bike sharing around campus. And I think the interest is there and the demand is there, so they’re definitely looking for a more permanent ?solution now.”

In 2014, Crimson Cruiser participants averaged an estimated five to 10 trips per week, covering an estimated 750 miles that year, according to a press release. The spring and fall 2014 application cycles closed early due to their popularity.

Watkins said he sponsored a resolution supporting a new bike share program — in lieu of a resolution encouraging an expansion of the existing bike share program — for economic reasons.

Though Crimson Cruisers is funded internally, Watkins said the ideal bike share program would be funded externally, drawing money from outside rather than IU sources.

Watkins said the ideal bike share program would also address affordability and convenience.

He said he wants students, faculty and staff to be able to check out bikes at any bike rack around campus instead of specific stations.

To evaluate student interest in the implementation of a bike share program, IUSA will release a survey, available online Monday through April 10. Rachel Martinez, IUSA chief of outreach, said the survey will take less than 45 seconds to complete.

Survey questions will ask participants where they live and where they travel. Questions will also ask participants to rate their satisfaction with the campus bus system and their interest in renting a bike, how much they would pay for a rented bike and how often they would use a ?rented bike.

“Being able to say, ‘X number of students responded positively to moving forward with this initiative and would use the final product,’ is a powerful tool when working with any campus office or administrator,” Martinez said.

Watkins said he wants to provide a completely alternative mode of transportation on which students ?can rely.

“I just really want to promote bike sharing because I’ve seen the impact it has had at different cities around the country,” he said. “It’s a very safe and useful mode of transportation. I would want the program to tailor straight toward IU’s needs.”

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