02
September
2015
|
05:57 AM
America/New_York

Bike share at The Ohio State University rolls out to Columbus campus

The Ohio State University has brought a bike sharing program to its Columbus campus, delivering a safe and sustainable alternative transportation option for the university community. The program offers 115 bicycles at 15 conveniently located campus locations.

“Our students asked for a bike sharing program which fit their needs, and we are proud to say that is exactly what we delivered,” said Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Ohio State vice provost for capital planning and regional campuses. “We underwent an extensive review process and are confident this program will thrive for many years to come.”

The bike share system, operated by Zagster, allows students to navigate campus and surrounding neighborhoods, providing one hour checkout on weekdays and three hours on weekends. Security features will allow members to take the bicycles anywhere – including off-campus – and securely lock them.

“Students have been a key part of this process and believe this system meets the university’s goals,” said student Abby Waidelich, vice president of Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government. “We look forward to utilizing another sustainable transportation option to travel on and around campus.”

The annual student rate is $35 while faculty and staff can purchase an annual membership for $55. Daily rates are also available. Learn more at: www.ttm.osu.edu/bikeshare.

In addition to commuter bicycles, the system will include tandem, hand cycle, heavy duty and three-wheeled cargo bikes.

“Ohio State has a diverse community and we are proud to offer accessible options for bicycles which allow anyone to navigate campus safely,” said Beth Snoke, director of Transportation and Traffic Management. “A tandem bike will allow a student who is blind to ride along with his or her sight guide – a feature we are excited to embrace.”

The program will offer leading edge technology and new bicycle designs. The system’s bicycles are sited in geo-fences which are easy to move and scale and allow for dynamic rebalancing based on demand or planned events.

In conjunction with the bicycle-sharing system, Ohio State continues to expand educational safety programming through its Share the Road campaign. The university will give away free bike helmets, supported by a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, and has partnered with Yay Bikes! to offer helmet fittings.