Zach Barash ’09 got more than good food when he visited Café Ozone Friday afternoon; he also got a key to a brightly painted cruiser bicycle.
His key allows him to unlock and ride any of the 20 communal bikes now available with the launch of a bike-sharing system called Free Cycles for U.
“I’m looking forward to having a bike on campus,” Barash said.
With the support of the Minerva houses and Student Forum, Reed Olsen ’09 and Jake Shaffren ’09 spearheaded the effort to bring the program to Union. The pair gave out 100 keys Friday.
“It’s great,” Shaffren said. “I think we’re going to need more keys.”
Individuals who paid the $1-deposit to secure a key can use any of the bikes to get to class, to the library or even to downtown Schenectady for lunch.
“The program’s designed to give everyone the opportunity to travel on and off campus in a sustainable manner,” Olsen said. “It’ll help reduce greenhouse gas production and generate a different kind of community.”
“When you travel in cars, you’re kind of closed off from everything,” he added. “But with bikes it’s direct, you’re very aware of your environment and the community around you.”
Similar programs are in place at other schools, including Emory University, the University of Washington, the University of New England and Duke University.
Participants in Union’s program can return their keys at the end of the year and their deposits will be refunded. During the course of the year, bikes needing repair can be taken to the bike shop in the basement of Richmond.
To learn more about Free Cycles for U, contact Olsen at olsenn@union.edu or Shaffren at shaffrej@union.edu.