GVSU started the fall semester with its own test. A pilot program that features the use of abandoned and subsequently repurposed bikes now available for students, faculty and staff to rent.
According to Lisa Haynes, assistant VP of Pew Campus Operations, there are only a couple of bikes left to rent for the semester, which is a pleasant surprise. "Pilot programs typically take time to catch on," says Haynes, who now will begin the process of assessing the options to add more rentals to their fleet of 29.
The program is based on similar ones at Michigan State University and University of Colorado in Boulder. The bikes, which are found abandoned on campus, are repurposed by local bike shops then painted "Grand Valley blue" and numbered.
Haynes indicates the program is especially popular with international students who typically do not have access to bikes when they arrive on campus.
Cost for rental is $25 per semester with a small security deposit that is returned when the lease is over.
To learn more about the bike rental program you can visit
here and click on "Bike Rentals on Campus."
Source: Lisa Haynes, GVSU
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor
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