Another great program that universities can adopt are bike co-ops. Bike co-op are typically student run programs to help students do some maintenance on their bicycles. At the University of Maryland, College Park they have the Campus Bike Shop, which is similar to a co-op but with a twist. Instead of performing the maintenance for you, the Campus Bike Shop student personnel will teach you how to fix your bike. They will walk you through all of the steps, and assist as necessary. The next time you run into bicycle troubles, you can go to the bike shop and just use their tools, without any help, unless needed. The Campus Bike Shop, also allow you to rent bicycles for a day, for a week, or for an entire semester.
The University of Maryland is also praised for being a great green campus, which encourages bicycling. In 2008, the Department of Transportation Services retained a firm specializing in campus bicycling planning, and has begun implementing their suggestions. Since then bicycle racks have been installed across campus, including secure access bike lockers. A bicycle map has also been developed which shows bicycle parking locations, designated bicycle paths, the Campus Bike Shop, and public showers. Most recently, they have begun a campaign to educate both bikers and car drivers of campus about bicycle safety.
So we all know the stereotypical college experience, inevitably there is always bound to be nudity. So why not combine your favorite activity (biking, obviously) and a little nudity. The World Naked Bike Ride does just that. With locations all across the world, there is a naked bike ride happening at least once every month. This bike ride is in protest to high oil dependency, while promoting healthy body images for the participants.
Nudity is not required. Any level of dress (or undress) is okay with the ride, if it’s okay with you. The official stance on dressing is “bare as you dare.” The locations of these rides occur in states and countries where public nudity is not illegal. Typically in these states the rule is public disrobing is illegal, and therefore as long as you get undressed indoors, being naked outside is legal. Just no lewd or immoral behaviors while naked, please. That WILL get you arrested.
The only other rule you will find for these naked bike rides are no cars or oil-consuming vehicles (it is a anti-oil protest after all). This means no mopeds, electric bikes, or motorcycles either.
According to new research published in the Environmental Health Perspective Journal, has determined the effects of the large switch from car drivers to cyclists in the Netherlands. Over 500,000 Dutch people have switched from driving to biking for short trips – thats over a 12.5% increase in biking! The research concluded that bicycling can add 3 to 14 months to ones life for health reasons, against a loss of 5 to 9 days due to accidents on average. Biking leads to decreased pollution inhalation, reduced greenhouse gases, and increased physical activity. Because of these benefits, the participants have experienced a decrease in cardiovascular disease and mortality.
To download the journal article click here.
Do you have your bike on your college campus yet? If so, join the fight against cancer research just by riding it. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and thousands of people around the world are raising money and biking for a cure. Only days ago the East Coast Ride for the Tour de Pink had taken place at the beginning of October. Riders on the East Coast travelled from Hershey, Pennsylvania to New York City. That’s 220 miles! Do you have that in you? Well over 200 East Coast riders did, and they did it in 4 days. This East Coast Ride, is the Tour de Pink’s ultimate challenge. In addition to this amazing feat, hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised. One team, Team Hershey, single handedly raised over $86,000 alone.
So if you missed the East Coast Ride, there are still opportunities. Atlanta’s ride begins October 16th. This ride can be anywhere between 1 mile to 100 miles: its your choice! Also the West Coast Ride begins October 29th in Santa Barbara, for a 60 mile tour across the city. Not near one of these cities? Do a virtual ride! Who says you need to ride hundreds of miles to be a part of a powerful community fighting breast cancer in young women? You don’t even need to go outside! Be a virtual rider and joinTour de Pink. You pick the location, you pick the miles, you pick when you ride… and you raise funds to help ensure no young woman faces breast cancer alone. It really is that easy!
One final way you can help out is by donating, and leaving encouraging comments of the Tour de Pink’s Facebok Page and Blog. Check out their website at http://www.ysctourdepink.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tdp_events_homepage
Don’t have the cash to buy a new bike just to get around your college campus? Why not rent a bike – at no charge? The University of Colorado at Boulder was one of the first colleges to pilot such a program. BuffBikes allows for students and faculty to rent one of 60 bikes for up to 48 hours. You even have the ability to renew the bike as long as their is still availability.
Pete Roper, the Transportation Program Manager of the Environmental Center, has said that the program began in 2003, and has grown each year with more and more demand. He has said that in one semester there are usually up to 1,500 rentals – many of which are by repeat customers. Roper has been quoted saying, “Our hope is that students more and more, and faculty, start believing they don’t even need a car,” he said. He wants students realize that for short commutes, a car is not needed.
Looking to rent a bike for more than 48 hours? Rent one of CU’s 150 long term bike rentals for a semester or year. These bikes do require a $100 refundable deposit and $30 for one year, but the savings are clear in comparison to driving.
The University of Colorado at Boulder is just one of the few that runs such a program, however, their program is one of the most effective. Colleges such as the University of Arizona, University of Washington, University of New Hampshire, among many others have these programs, though most average about 10-30 bikes per campus.
The college school year has just begun, and student at the University of New England got more than just a class schedule – they’re getting a free bike! Students who promise to leave a car at home are getting a free $480 bicycle, helmet and lock. Not a bad deal.
Many of the students are now saying “It’s an ideal way to get around campus.” And the school administrators are agreeing. The schools are seeing a big decrease in the number of cars on campus. Only about 25% of Freshman brought a car to campus, instead of the usual 75%. This means a greener campus.
The students are the ones seeing the biggest difference, though. With a car you have to pay for a parking permit, gas, plus they break down. What college student has the money to pay for all of that? Not many. Instead students get a free way to quickly get around campus with no carbon footprint. Plus, instead of gaining the Freshman 15, biking is one way of losing it.
This trend is slow to catch on, but Ripon College in Wisconsin has begun a similar program this year and Emory College in Boston will be starting the program in 2011. We will see in coming years who else picks up this program to provide fitness, health, and sustainability to college campuses.
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