Ripon College gives freshmen free bikes for no-car pledges
By ERICA PEREZ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Posted: Aug. 28, 2008 Wauwatosa West High School graduate Cameron Collier wasn't sure whether to bring a car with him for his freshman year at Ripon College, but a brochure from the school sealed the deal with an offer he couldn't refuse. Bikes For Cars <http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/graphic.asp?graphic=http://graphics. jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/aug08/trek_082808_big.jpg> Carol Bartow of Oshkosh Cyclery handpicks Trek 820 bicycles according to the rider's size on Tuesday for the Velorution project at Ripon College. Campus Environment 2008 The National Wildlife Federation issued its second report card ranking colleges and universities on sustainability last week, recognizing more than 240 institutions for their exemplary environmental and sustainability practices and policies. Among the 33 schools surveyed in Wisconsin, nine were named as exemplary in different areas: Marquette University Ripon College College of Menominee Nation Edgewood College UW-Madison UW-Milwaukee UW-Green Bay UW-Eau Claire UW-Oshkosh More Information For more on the campus report card, visit www.nwf.org/ campusecology <http://www.nwf.org/campusecology> Advertisement Click Here <http://adopt.specificclick.net/click.sm?adv=3183&href=http://ad.doublec lick.net/jump/N2724.Specific_Media/B2968812.2;sz=300x250;ord=12199287762 74?> To save parking spots and go green, the 1,000-student college offered incoming freshmen a brand-new Trek 820 mountain bike, a Trek Vapor helmet and a Master Lock U-Lock - all to keep - if they pledged to leave their cars at home. Collier signed up. "With rising (gas) prices and whatnot, I thought, it's good for the environment, you get a free bike, and it saves them parking," said Collier, who is interested in environmental science and could see himself as a park ranger one day. "It was pretty cool that they were doing it," he said. "I think it says they're innovative and changing with the times." The Ripon bike giveaway, called the Velorution Project, has been wildly popular. Some 60% of freshmen who have mailed deposits signed up for bikes, which they picked up Tuesday. It's one of the more innovative programs among a flurry of campus transportation initiatives at colleges and universities in Wisconsin. The programs are aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and parking demand by encouraging students, faculty or staff to use their cars less in favor of bikes, public transit, ridesharing or car-sharing programs. Edgewood College in Madison is starting a smaller bike giveaway pilot program for faculty and staff. The University of Wisconsin-Madison recently opened a new stretch of the bike path on the west end of campus lighted by solar-powered lights. Many campuses in the state have a form of U-Pass that enables students, faculty and staff to ride the bus with a valid campus ID card. The passes are free but are usually subsidized by student fees. UW-Eau Claire, UW-Madison, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Superior, the Milwaukee Area and Madison Area technical colleges, Edgewood, Marquette and UW-Milwaukee are among the schools that offer such passes, and UW-Green Bay just started a pilot program. That puts the schools ahead of many others in the country. Campus Environment 2008, a report card issued by the National Wildlife Federation and Princeton Survey Research Associates International, found less than a third of colleges and universities surveyed offer discounted or free bus passes to students, and one-fifth offer them to faculty and staff. UW-Madison tightly limits student parking, making an on-campus car a huge hassle for most. As a result, more than 90% of students use energy-friendly alternatives for transportation, including buses, biking, walking and car-share programs, said Rob Kennedy, transportation planner for UW-Madison. Affordable rentals Both UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee have car-sharing programs. For about $7 an hour at UWM and $8 at UW-Madison, students can reserve a car such as a hybrid Toyota Prius, pick it up at an on-campus location, use it for their reserved time and then return the car for the next user. An added perk: The cost of insurance, maintenance and gas is included. Although schools such as UW-Madison and Northland have offered students free use of loaner bikes on campus for years, Ripon might be the first college in the nation to offer students a new bike in exchange for a no-car pledge. Edgewood this year will follow that lead with a pilot offering discounted Trek bicycles to faculty and staff who commit to not driving. After a Trek discount and a subsidy from Edgewood, they will pay $200 for a $700 bike. Officials hope to extend the offer to students next year. If Ripon is any sort of model, students may jump at the chance. Ripon President David C. Joyce hatched the plan when he realized the campus was at parking capacity. Rather than pave over green space, Joyce and staff brainstormed ways to offer incentives with alternative forms of transportation. A self-described bike fanatic, Joyce and his wife plan vacations around bike races. But offering students free use of loaner bikes didn't seem like enough. "The problem with that is, how does it discourage you from bringing a car?" Joyce said. The Velorution was born - and its popularity has surprised even its most optimistic adherents. Six out of 10 freshmen will count on bikes as their primary form of transportation. The school is installing 32 new bike racks. The school raised about $50,000 from alumni, trustees and donors to pay for the bikes - far less than the cost of building a new parking structure. "I'm flabbergasted," Joyce said. "We hoped and dreamed that 40% would take it. That would meet our goal. Then we'd have enough parking for everyone that has cars. At 50%, I would've said, 'Yes, we've made converts.' We're approaching 60%. I'm still scrambling around trying to find more money." Now that the first behavior-changing experiment has worked, Joyce has a few more ideas. Next year's bikes might be adorned with Ripon colors and logos. Faculty and staff might get to sign pledges for bikes. But that might necessitate another type of revolution. Joyce rarely rides a bike to work because he wears a suit and tie and he doesn't have a shower at the office. "If we're going to do this, we'll have to look at some cultural changes too," Joyce said. "Maybe we'll have a more relaxed dress code." Steve Meiers Safety educator (608) 267-1102 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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