University of Texas Orange Bike Project

Type: Program

Status: Ongoing

Source File: http://www.utenvironment.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=230&Itemid=152

Description:

Orange Bike Project: Lending bikes to students — for free!

Who we are
We are a subcommittee of the Campus Environmental Center at the University of Texas that provides students with more sustainable choices for transportation. We have volunteers, enthusiasm and access to used bikes, tools, and a space in which to work. Through our program, students are able to “check out” a bike just as if they were checking out a library book and keep the bike for the entire semester. This allows many students to make their bike their primary mode of transportation.

Why this matters
Providing bikes to students benefits both students and society. A student who checks out a bike has cheap transportation and is able to lead an active lifestyle, promoting good health throughout life. Society benefits by having fewer cars on the road — a huge problem in Austin — and fewer pollutants in the air.

College is an important time for students to become interested in cycling. During college, students acquire behaviors and attitudes that they retain for the rest of their lives. Showing them how transportation can be fun, healthy and sustainable will have positive long term impacts.