Monday, October 20, 2008

With Free Bikes, Challenging Car Culture on Campus

Caution the word subsidy is used in this article which may freak some people out. I would suggest doing the following
1: Breathe
2: Close you eyes
3: Repeat the following: "it's ok it is a socialist idea and I will be ok and so will my country".

The University of New England bikes are personalized. Free or subsidized bike programs at colleges have had mixed success.


BIDDEFORD, Me. — When Kylie Galliani started at the University of New England in August, she was given a key to her dorm, a class schedule and something more unusual: a $480 bicycle.

“I was like, ‘A free bike, no catch?’ ” Ms. Galliani, 17, a freshman from Fort Bragg, Calif., asked. “It’s really an ideal way to get around the campus.”

University administrators and students nationwide are increasingly feeling that way too.

The University of New England and Ripon College in Wisconsin are giving free bikes to freshmen who promise to leave their cars at home. Other colleges are setting up free bike sharing or rental programs, and some universities are partnering with bike shops to offer discounts on purchases.

The goal, college and university officials said, is to ease critical shortages of parking and to change the car culture that clogs campus roadways and erodes the community feel that comes with walking or biking around campus. read more here

4 comments:

clintpatty said...

Ripon College is private. I'm not seeing the socialism in that. My cousin bikes at the university she attends. Instead of giving a 'free' bike (that someone pays for, maybe you with tuition depending on the school), they charge like $2k+ per year for car parking. Works well.

Anonymous said...

I see no problem with socialism, social programs and social security.

Social Skills are nice too.

clintpatty said...

Is that directed as an attack?

Anonymous said...

Not at all!