A fleet of purple and yellow rebuilt bikes will soon be whizzing
around the University of British Columbia campus in the latest move
to reduce the reliance on cars at the university.
By rebuilding bikes that are abandoned on campus each year, the
student Alma Mater Society (AMS) Bike Co-op aims to provide a fleet
of 100 bikes by September. The first bikes in the fleet will be
launched July 1.
“This program makes biking a more viable means of transportation
for everyone at UBC,” says Ted Buehler, president of the AMS Bike
Co-op. “With universal access to a fleet of bicycles, the campus
community has an alternative to using a car when making short trips
across campus.”
Members of the co-op pay $20 to join and a $5 deposit for a key
that unlocks the padlocks of all bikes in the fleet. Members who
participate in rebuilding and maintaining bikes qualify for a reduced
fee membership.
The group aims to set up a permanent bike shop on campus to support
cyclists. It will sell and repair bikes and teach bicycle repair
and safety courses.
Co-op members are responsible for providing their own helmets.
Member riders who need a helmet can buy one at cost from the co-op.
The program supports the university’s goal of reducing single occupancy
car travel to UBC by 20 per cent over the next five years.
The AMS Bike Co-op is a partnership of the UBC Trek program which
promotes sustainable transportation alternatives at UBC, the Landscape
Architecture program within the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
which provides shop space, and UBC Housing and Conferences which
provides discarded bikes.
For more information about the AMS Bike Co-op, visit its Web site
at www.interchange.ubc.ca/buehler/bikecoop/
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