Undergraduate Student Government (USG) has purchased 200 B-cycle memberships for undergraduate students at DU after the B-cycle station move from outside Nelson Hall to Washington Park. Funded by USG’s Sustainability Committee, the memberships are available to any student who wants one.
Part of the DU community since 2008, the bike-sharing program was started in an attempt to reduce Denver’s carbon footprint and is used by DU students and Denver residents alike.
However, several changes to the B-cycle program at DU took place over the summer.
“Not enough students were using the B-cycles outside of Nelson Hall,” said Katherine Snow, a senior off-campus USG Senator from Boulder majoring in international studies and communication “We thought that by moving it to Washington Park where a lot of DU students go, we could get a higher ridership. It’s basically a test run.”
Students interested in using the bicycles can go the transportation office and request a membership. A code will be given that allows students to get a card which works at any B-cycle station in Denver, adding the B-cycles to students’ list of free transportation, including the RTD light rail and the RTD bus system.
According to Snow, if usage increases, so could memberships or even B-cycles around campus. Snow encourages students to take advantage of this free and sustainable form of transportation and test the program.
“B-cycle is particularly useful because we don’t have a library right now. Students can utilize them to go off campus for studying in places they may not be able to go to otherwise like Stella’s,” said Snow, referring to an eclectic coffee shop on Denver’s South Pearl Street, one of many quiet places to study in the area surrounding DU.
Megan Marshall, a senior representative on the USG Sustainability Committee majoring in sociology and public policy from Aurora, agreed with Snow.
“You can take the light rail to Union Station and then take a bike to the Tattered Cover, which is a really cool place to study,” said Marshall.
The Nelson station was one of three stations officially connected to campus, although there are still several in the surrounding area, including at the DU light rail station on High Street and off of Evans Avenue in front of the Driscoll Student Center.
Throughout Denver, the B-cycle program allows members to use one of 530 bicycles located at one of 53 B-cycle stations situated around the city for short trips after which the B-cycle can be returned to any other station.
B-Cycle are free for the first half hour, $1 for 30-60 minute trips and $4 for every additional half hour.
Students can visit www.du.edu.transcenter/GettingAroundTown.html for more information.
