In an effort to ease transportation woes and curb the number of abandoned bicycles, the USG is planning to scatter orange bikes across campus.
A collaboration between the USG and Public Safety, the USG Bicycle Initiative aims to charge students an annual fee of $3 for unlimited access to bikes stationed around campus. MIT, Colorado College and the University of Vermont are among the schools that already have bike rental programs.
USG vice president Josh Weinstein '09, who is spearheading the initiative, said one motivation for the program is reducing the amount of time students spend traveling between dorms, classrooms and other activities. "Walking time from Forbes to the E-quad is approximately 20 minutes," he said. "Even from Holder to Jadwin, the average is 10. A bike ride along the same routes would take maybe 3 to 5 minutes."
Public Safety Deputy Director Charles Davall, who met with USG officers a few months ago to brainstorm possible joint initiatives, said Weinstein's proposal would help address the glut of abandoned bicycles that Public Safety currently faces. "What we were looking for in partnership with the USG," Davall said, "is to work on alternatives to bikes on campus, to say [to students], 'Hey, you don't have to bring bikes, we have some you can borrow.' "
Public Safety has collected and impounded over 300 abandoned bikes, many of which are in fair condition, demanding few repairs beyond replacements of chains and brakes. Weinstein said the USG's goal is to refurbish these bikes, spray-paint them orange and use them for its new initiative.
"Many students would not return to their dorms between classes, and, in certain cases, course selection may even be affected by the element of long walking time," Weinstein said. "Students are not motivated to bring bikes to campus because of the hassle, and many are left on the racks during the summer or deserted altogether."
The USG is collaborating with the Princeton Sustainability Subcommittee on the environmental aspects of the initiative. By preventing Public Safety from discarding bicycles and promoting their use as an alternative means of transportation, Weinstein said, the initiative seeks to "beautify the campus" and reduce the number of bikes with broken or corroded parts.
Last week, the USG tested the waters for the proposal with a poll on the Point website that asked, "If PU provided and maintained a bike for you during the year, would you use it?" Seventy percent of the 619 respondents cast an affirmative vote, with 35 percent saying they would "use it often," 15 percent "twice a week" and nine percent saying they already owned their own bike.
"In the long run, we'd like to absorb that 9 percent into our program," Weinstein said. "We'd like to replace individual bikes with those of the USG."
If as many students take advantage of the program as the Point poll suggests, it would produce a gross profit of $10,000, Weinstein said. He estimated the annual maintenance expenses per vehicle would be $25, adding that since minor repairs cost little, renters would not be charged for accidental damage.
The USG's immediate goals are to start selecting restorable bicycles from Public Security's current reserve and to commence repairs. A crew of student workers will be responsible for vehicle maintenance and repairs. Eventually, the initiative intends to collaborate with faculty, graduate students and athletic groups to provide faster transport to West Windsor and other fields.
Weinstein said he is not yet sure when the initiative will go into effect, though he wants to implement it "as soon as possible." He added that the USG hopes the University will provide startup funding for the program.
"The business model is self-sufficient," Weinstein said. "Once the program is successfully launched, we will not need further University funding."
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