OSU-Cascades rolls out pilot bike-loan program

A pilot bike loan program is one of the first tangible ways Oregon State University – Cascades will encourage the campus community to lessen dependency on personal vehicles for nearby meetings and errands.

Vivid orange cruiser bikes, named Benny, Bernice, Betty and Norman, will be available for use beginning in March for faculty and staff. The bikes are each equipped with a large basket, fenders, and an odometer.

The pilot program launches months in advance of the anticipated groundbreaking of the new campus in west Bend, giving campus officials time to assess demand, a reservation system, and security and maintenance before launching it on the new campus and to the broader campus community, including students.

Kelly Sparks, associate vice president for finance and strategic planning said, “This is a small step that represents the responsibility we feel towards creating a university of people who think of other means of transportation beside personal vehicles.”

Plans and policies for the new campus support sustainable transportation choices, in part by incentivizing options such as walking, biking, carpooling and public transportation.

A task force of campus and community members developed a set of 21 recommendations towards minimizing traffic and parking; 16 of those recommendations are now incorporated into policy and planning.

Benny, Bernice, Betty and Norman will be available to faculty and staff from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all weekdays that the campus is open. Campus officials anticipate the bikes will be used for official business and events, and even personal errands like picking up lunch.

Aside from saving personal mileage (most employees are not reimbursed for local trips), the bikes will encourage a healthier lifestyle. Sparks and others expect the bikes to be in high demand. Usagewill be tracked throughout the year to monitor the program.

Benny, Bernice, Betty and Norman will be housed at the Graduate & Research Center and at Cascades Hall, and more bicycles will be added as demand grows.

Campus officials anticipate the bikes will be used most often for trips downtown Bend, to the Old Mill, and near the future campus location on Chandler Avenue and Century Drive.