August 2008 | On Our Radar
Pedal Power
When fall semester starts at St. Xavier University’s (SXU) Chicago campus on the city’s South Side, students and faculty can no longer use the excuse of being caught in traffic for being tardy to class.
SXU has been working throughout the summer to install computerized docking stations for a fleet of 65 bicycles for its Green Bike Program, a bike sharing program modeled after the success of those in European cities like Paris, to roll out in the fall. Although other colleges in the U.S. offer similar programs, SXU will be the first to use shaft-driven European bikes from, Veloway, a French company known in Europe for its bike shares — and one Mayor Richard M. Daley took interest in for Chicago last year.
Students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to check out bikes anytime from docking stations around campus by using their ID cards or by gaining a code sent via a text message to their cell phones. The first 15 minutes of riding between stations is free and every 15 minutes after costs 60 cents, says Paul Matthews, Assistant Vice President of Facilities at SXU. According to Matthews, students should be able to get anywhere on campus in seven to eight minutes.
The program encourages students to leave their cars at home or in the parking lot, so the entire 5,7000 student population can participate in this more sustainable and eco-friendly way of getting around campus and the community. Matthews says since the bikes have baskets, he hopes students will also bike to area stores and potentially get local businesses interested in having docking stations nearby. Visit sxu.edu.
— Brett Marlow
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