Approval for Bike Share rolls to completion

It should soon be a little easier for non-drivers to get around Seattle as ASSU's newest project, the Seattle University Bike Share, is growing close to implementation. With the acronym "SUBS," the program, according to a resolution released by ASSU, aims to provide a fleet of uniform and identifiable bicycles, a dedicated bike rack, shop space for maintenance and repairs, and a yearly operations budget for the program.

Taking leadership initially over the program would be ASSU partnered with Natural Leaders for Environmental Justice.

Natural Leaders could not be reached for comment.

The Bike Share would be available to the campus community, students and staff. According to the resolution, the stated mission of the program is to "promote alternative forms of transportation and awareness of sustainability efforts … to form bike culture on campus."

According to Keelan Hooper, ASSU's internal chief of staff, the Bike Share is drawing ever closer to implementation. "It has gathered a great deal of student support, and the support of several departments on campus. The university treats sustainability as a constant priority in all its projects, and is always exploring transportation options."

This makes the bike share a natural fit on campus. Hooper explains that ASSU is still exploring locations for the bike share, as well as other logistics, and as of yet there is no launch date set for the program.

The program's resolution states an allotted 20 bikes will be available at Seattle U. The Bike Share isn't free – instead it stipulates a membership fee as well as a damage deposit, as well as a rental package which includes helmet, lock and key, bike and safety reflectors.

ASSU quotes the results of a student survey of 125 students at Seattle U that measured the likelihood they'd participate in a bike share program and whether they would check bikes out over night or not.

Twenty-eight percent of surveyed students said they would very likely use the bike share, while 26 percent said it would be very unlikely. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they would be interested in checking bikes out overnight. Forty-nine percent said they would use the bikes to travel one to five miles, and 22 percent for five to 10 miles.

A variety of campus clubs and organizations have come together to work on the Bike Share project. In addition to ASSU and Natural Leaders, the newest campus partner to join is the Seattle University Bike Club.

The groups have put in hundreds of hours since September on the design and implementation of this program, according to Hooper, with the goal of customizing the program to best fit the needs and resources of Seattle U.

According to Hooper, the Bike Share program at Seattle U will function as a collection of bicycles and supporting infrastructure made available to the campus community in a manner similar to how the ORCA Cards are currently available, "as a more sustainable and exciting method of transportation around the Capitol Hill and Seattle area."

Seattle University is not the first campus to implement a bike sharing program. Berkeley, Yale and Princeton have established programs, and many governments have implemented city-wide bike sharing programs, with an estimated 200 programs in operation worldwide. According to the Daily Cal at Berkeley, students are able to rent bikes for two days for $2 and for three days starting on Fridays for $3. One of the earliest community bicycle program, was started in Amsterdam, providing free bicycles.

Within a month all the bikes had been stolen, and current bike sharing programs usually use memberships and security mechanisms to ensure protection.

Cambray may be reached at cprovo@su-spectator.com