This week, students are seeing a fleet of green bikes around campus. The bikes are part of a new idea for a transportation program being tested called “Free Rides.” Fifty-two bikes, identified by their bright green frames and red ID plates, are spread out across campus that students can use ideally for getting from class to class. The rules are simple: ride at your own risk, do not lock up the bikes, and keep them within the community.
This concept has been in development for a while, initially beginning with a bicycle repair shop. Operating out of the Give and Take, students could bring their bikes to the shop to learn how to fix and maintain them. Because many students at BYU–Hawaii own bicycles instead of cars, but do not take them home when they leave, there has long been a surplus of old bicycles in the community. Now, through creativity and the support of Campus Security, these resources have been pooled for students’ use through the “Free Rides” system of community transportation.
The bikes will be seen in the bike stands around campus and are intended to be a convenient mode of transportation for students who need to get across campus or to run an errand. Once finished with a bike, the rider will return it to any on-campus bike stand for another student to use. (Reminder: use the auto lane to follow traffic around the big circle, and use the new counter-flow bike lane to go the other direction.)
Students who are interested in contributing to this and other similar projects should come to the Enactus student association meetings at 8 PM on Wednesday evenings in HGB 275. Students wanting to improve their community can fill out a project charter and work with fellow Enactus team members to help develop sustainable solutions for their projects and ideas.
Learn more about Enactus at BYU–Hawaii.
Enactus United States is part of an international non-profit organization that brings together student, academic and business leaders who are committed to improving the world through entrepreneurial action. The program is a vehicle for students to address community needs and develop and implement sustainable entrepreneurial projects throughout the year.
To learn more about Enactus, visit www.enactusunitedstates.org or www.enactus.org.
