Many schools advocate sustainable living, but a few colleges and universities have pushed the proverbial extra pedal to encourage students to leave their car keys at home and hop on their bicycles.
Universities across the nation are offering incoming students free bicycles and other incentives to avoid driving, decrease pollution, empty parking lots and encourage healthy habits.
The University of New England, a private school headquartered Biddeford, Maine, offered incoming freshmen the choice of a brand-new bicycle, a helmet and bicycle lock, or free access to two on-campus rentable Zipcars in return for the promise that the student would leave his or her car at home.
UNE provided incoming students with greener transportation alternatives to cut down the university’s carbon footprint, avoid building new parking lots and reduce the number of cars cramming in parking lots, UNE spokeswoman Kathleen Taggersell said.
‘The bicycles are part of a comprehensive program,’ she said. ‘We didn’t want to restrict our students, so we decided to provide them with options.’
University administrators found funding for the initiative, which cost approximately $130,000 and provided more than 150 students with bicycles, by raising parking fees for students by $210. Assistant Dean of Students Daryl Conte said the increased fee has already earned the university more than $200,000 this year.
The bicycle initiative both encourages students to use bicycles and discourages them from wasting gas and polluting the environment, Conte said.
‘The program itself is an incentive and disincentive program at the same time,’ he said.
Emory University, Ripon College, Duke University, Illinois State University and the University of Washington have also recently launched similar initiatives to reduce the number of vehicles on campus and the universities’ carbon footprints.
So far only a handful of colleges have offered free bicycles as a way to help the environment, but the move represents a concern for sustainability that many more colleges might follow, said Julian Dautremont-Smith, associate director for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
‘It’s a great and very attractive idea,’ Dautremont-Smith said. ‘We’re always excited when colleges try new initiatives to reduce their ecological footprints.’
Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said the bicycle program would not work at BU because of the Charles River Campus’ unique layout.
‘We are fortunate in that we have a trolley line that goes right through the middle of our campus,’ he said. ‘Public transportation makes it very accessible to go throughout the city and neighboring communities.’
Riley said he has seen more bicycles on campus since a new bicycle lane opened on Commonwealth Avenue in August, which he believes comes with a new responsibility for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.
‘There has been a lot to get used to,’ he said. ‘People need to be better aware of their surroundings.’
Still, School of Hospitality junior Stephen Turner said BU should initiate a similar program to UNE’s.
‘I didn’t bring my bicycle to campus because it’s hard to transport and store here,’ he said. ‘If BU provided bicycles, it would make my life a lot easier.’
Some students at UNE said the first-year giveaway did not work as well as they had expected. UNE freshman Sean Aubin said in an email that the school had good intentions but did not plan the program effectively, because many bicycles have been stolen.
‘It seems that September may have snuck up on the organizers,’ he said in an email.
Aubin said stolen bicycles have been spray painted to cover the decals, but students can tell which bicycles are freshmen’s bicycles.
Aubin said theft is a problem because the bicycles all look the except for a decal with the owner’s name. UNE freshman Amelia Kelly said her bicycle was stolen during the first week of school.
Students have also reported trouble finding places to lock up their bicycles.’
‘We could use more racks throughout the campus and especially in front of the dorms,’ UNE freshman Adam Dexter said in an email.
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