The red bikes beckon from their sturdy white stands all around the downtown area. You have probably seen people merrily riding by on B-Cycle’s Trek bicycles. Perhaps it was you who zoomed past on your way to one of the dozens of stations dotting Madison’s Central and West Side.

B-Cycle, the nationally planted bike-sharing program, could be moving east. A new station has been proposed for the Truax Campus.

On Friday, March 6, Student Senator Amanda Love presented information on the potential site at the Student Activities Board (SAB) meeting. Student representatives from various organizations such as United Common Ground, Performing Arts, the Yahara Journal, the Clarion, and Athletics attend the monthly meetings to network and give joint input on student issues. The B-Cycle initiative would affect the student body in a variety of ways and a discussion of the benefits and costs followed the presentation.

According to Love, B-Cycles would give students another commuting  alternative. Instead of riding the bus, driving, or walking to school, a student would, hopefully, be able to get to a B-Cycle station near their home, and ride the bike to the station at school.

The B-Cycles operate on either a single-use fee or an annual membership. With a membership, or a day pass, bikes can be checked out from any station and used for 30 minutes before incurring extra fees. Each 30-minute period the bike is out past costs an additional three dollars. The idea is to quickly bike between stations, using the bikes as a transportation service.

Love mentioned it would be an appealing option for students looking to get off campus for lunch; they could avoid having to search for a parking spot upon return. She also said that it would give students a healthier commuting option.

If approved, the station would be one of the first on the east side. The current closest B-Cycle station is at Tenney Park, approximately a 20-minute ride away. Other areas businesses are looking at sponsoring stations as well, but this would be a flagship station for the area. At the meeting, Student Senate Advisor Jackie Dahlke expressed interest in partnering with other nearby businesses to support the program throughout the community. Once approved, those partnerships would be sought out.

Another commuting option means fewer cars in the parking lot, but what are the other effects of this measure? The school has already approved $47,500 toward the start of the project; capital required to begin construction of the new station. Senator Love is requesting consideration on the additional $7,500 yearly cost of maintaining the B-Cycles for a three-year pilot program. That money is already available through a surplus for the coming year from the commuter-services budget. After the pilot program ends, the contract would stand at $10,000 per year.

Students would also have to pay an additional $20 a year for their own B-Cycle membership, if they elect to use the program. That’s a significant discount from the standard public rate of $65. The station at Madison College would be able to dock 15 bicycles.

The bikes are available March through November, hibernating for the worst of winter. They would be maintained, like all B-cycles, by the Trek Bicycle Corporation. They are conveniently fitted with locks, lights, and baskets to assist with commuting. The bikes also contain advertising displays, which Madison College would use for marketing purposes. Funding the project would also help move the college toward LEED certification.

The discussion addressed other concerns of the group. One student asked what happened if a station ran out of bikes? B-Cycle electronically monitors stations and sends vans with teams and bicycles out to refill empty stations. All of the stations available bikes and available spaces can be found by visiting the B-Cycle website.

If you get to a station to return a bike and the station is full, you have to ride to the next station to return the bike.  Using the website to check stations before a ride can help avoid such problems. If your bike breaks down on the road, springs a flat or slips a chain, there’s a help number to call, listed on the bicycle. Rick Poole said that, “They’ll send out a van, and rescue you.” Good to know.

Discussion continues around the topic. If you have additional questions or input on the matter, please contact Amanda Love at [email protected]. Opinions may also be submitted in 200-400 words, as letters to the editor at [email protected].