T he Tar Heel Bikes Steering Committee recently launched a program to explore how much students would be willing to increase the student transit fee in order to pay for a bike-sharing program . Although the increase is expected to amount to between $2-6 a semester , the program would be worth the cost as it would improve accessibility, encourage sustainability and further promote a bike-friendly culture.
The increase in student fees would make these bikes available for all students to use to travel between points on campus, even allowing for jaunts to off-campus locations.
Opponents of this initiative may point out that the cost of the program should not be absorbed by all students, as the program would only benefit those living on South Campus. However, it is important to note that the new program would vary significantly from its pilot program, as the increase in student fees would enable the infrastructure for a more flexible and expanded system.
While the pilot program had one bike base and required students to return checked-out bikes to the same location, the new system would have bike bases located throughout campus, which would allow students to check out and return bikes at different locations . Furthermore, the committee is actively working to seek student input to ensure that bases are placed in the most convenient and efficient locations.
Duke University and the University of Virginia are set to implement similar bike-sharing programs next year, and UNC would do well to follow suit . Simply put, an increase in student fees would go far in setting up the infrastructure for an innovative and effective bike-sharing system.
