E U G E N E C E L E B R AT I O N 2011
Ride Your Bike and Share It, Too
B-cycling to save the planet and pocket book
R
iding a bike is good for the planet, but sharing a bike is even better. At the Eugene Celebration,
you can see exactly what bike sharing is all about with the help of the innovative B-cycle, which
will be demoed at a booth sponsored by point2point Solutions.
“The concept of bike sharing makes a lot of sense,” says Lisa VanWinkle, school
solutions coordinator at point2point. Bike sharing through the B-cycle program
consists of fl eets of bikes (or B-cycles) at various stations that can be checked
out, used and returned as needed. VanWinkle sees bike sharing as a way to help people
taking public transportation “solve that last mile” between the bus station and their fi nal
destination.
The B-cycle is taking bike sharing to the next level, creating stations where people
can use their credit cards or B-cards (like library cards) to check out a bike and
then return it to another station — or the same one — later. Bikers can sign up for
a membership, allowing them unlimited access to B-cycles, or pay-per-use on an
hourly rate. The Wisconsin-based program, which has been gaining popularity in
cities across the U.S., says that installing B-cycle stations not only reduces carbon
emissions but also decreases obesity.
VanWinkle and point2point Solutions say bike sharing is a way of making
alternative transportation methods more convenient by creating more options and
greater accessibility. This is the key to getting more people to choose ways of getting
around that don’t involve gas.
For now, Eugene doesn’t have a B-cycle program, but point2point does offer a
bike locker rental program at some LTD stations, where bikers can store their bikes
for a refundable lock deposit.
VanWinkle says she hopes bike sharing will become popular in Eugene, as it will
provide more convenient alternatives for people looking to eliminate solo driving.
She says she hopes that when people see the B-cycle and learn about bike sharing they
“think about (transportation) options that they might want to try, or think about options they
want to share with others.”
The B-cycle booth will be located in the Sustainability Village during the Eugene
Celebration, along with more information about bike sharing and eco-friendly transportation
choices. — Kendall Fields
the
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14 AUGUST 25, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
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