Bicycle Sharing Service Offers a Campus Demonstration

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Students, faculty and staff are invited to give the bicycle sharing service B-cycle a test ride from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, on the Campus Walk near the Peace Fountain between Old Main and Vol Walker Hall.

The U of A Office for Sustainability is sponsoring the demonstration as part of an on-going exploration of strategies for reducing parking demand, transportation congestion and meeting carbon neutrality goals on campus.

B-cycle is a nationwide bike-sharing program with sharing stations in cities all over the country. In collaboration with Trek Bicycle Corp., B-cycle partners with cities to install bicycles and cycle parking stations that can be used by anyone with a membership. People can sign up as long-term members online or for a 24-hour membership at a “b-station.” Users can pay to ride the bike for any amount of time and then park it at any b-station when they are done. B-cycle's goal is to provide and encourage sustainable transportation, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution. Cities with B-cycle programs include Indianapolis, Austin, and Denver.

The bike-share program offers all the benefits of bicycling without the burden of owning a bicycle. Consumers rent bikes when they need them while companies support all aspects of the bicycle upkeep, including repairs and maintenance. 

The Razorback Transit Department has operated a free bike-sharing program for several years, and is always looking for innovative and cost effective ways to expand campus interest in bicycling.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.