University discusses possible plans for bikeshare program
Cycling activist Mia Birk, famous for turning Portland, Ore., into the most bike-friendly city in America, stopped at USC during her visit to Columbia Thursday and said the campus could likely earn bike-friendly university status within a year.
Birk moderated a discussion among approximately 30 faculty and staff members, including representatives from the Office of Sustainability, USCPD, Healthy Carolina and Vehicle Management, at the West (Green) Quad Thursday. Several topics were discussed, among them the level of cyclist accessibility at USC and a bike-share program.
Birk is traveling the country promoting her book “Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet” while talking to city and school leaders about how they can promote the use of nonmotorized transportation.
After helping the attendees complete a self-assessment of the school’s current biking conditions, Birk pointed out areas that could be improved.
The League of American Bicyclists has a list of criteria a school must meet in order to be considered a bike friendly university (BFU). They are called the five E’s: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation. Emory University and UNC Greensboro are the only schools in the Southeast that have so far met these qualifications. Birk, who served as Portland’s Bicycle Program coordinator for six years, has found that an accommodating city bike plan can make a difference in on-road accidents.
“We’ve found that there is safety in numbers. The more people that are cycling, the lower the crash rate,” Birk said. “People who cycle drive as well, so they will become more conscientious.”
She also stressed the importance of getting the message out to students that biking to class is a good alternative to driving.
“You have to communicate in about eight different ways,” Birk said. “It’s never a one-time thing either — it has to be constant.”
Derrick Huggins, associate vice president of transportation at USC, presented the beginnings of a plan to create a bike-share system at USC. Huggins also mentioned that USC’s new car-share program, Connect by Hertz, which was started this year, has seen tremendous success, warranting a fleet expansion from two cars to four.
“We’re in a transition stage right now at USC,” Huggins said. “We’re doing some really transformational things, and we have the ear of (USC) President (Harris) Pastides on the bike-share program.”
The bikes used for the program would have three gears, suitable for city riding, and puncture-resistant tires.
“These are not just regular bikes; they are urban vehicles,” Birk said.
Huggins said the school is currently in the process of identifying locations for eco-friendly bike-share stations. He hopes to have several throughout the campus, as well as in Five Points and Main Street.
The next challenge will be funding the project. Each proposed solar-powered station would cost $40,000.
Birk suggested that local businesses could sponsor the station, or advertisements could be sold and placed on the bikes to offset the initial costs. She said Denver already supports its bike-share system through such ads.
Huggins hopes to have the bike-share program in place by August of 2012.
“I’m really excited about what’s going to happen here,” Birk said. “It’s going to be a great example.”
Outdoor Recreation Director Katie Coley, who helps run the bike shop in the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness center, presented another plan for giving students greater access to bikes.
Coley said the recreation department has collected 50 bikes that have been left behind by their owners over the years, which it plans to rent or sell to students.