Chancellor Carol Folt and Rameses Jr. cut the ribbon and officially launched UNC’s new Tar Heel Bikes program on Wednesday.
The new bike share program is one of the latest efforts in the University’s Three Zeros Environmental Initiative, which aims to reduce waste, water use and CO2 emissions on campus.
“It’s such a great opportunity for us to continue to live the practices of sustainability and the three zeros that we care so much about,” said Folt.
Students can rent bikes from any of the 18 hubs around campus. Cheryl Stout, director of transportation and parking, said students can sign up through the app and ride for up to an hour for free everyday, or pay $30 for the Lifestyle Plan, which includes two free hours of riding daily. Both plans allow users to reserve bikes in advance.
Gotcha Bike, the company behind Tar Heel Bikes, was co-founded by a UNC graduate and already has bike share programs on other UNC system campuses. Brad Ives, associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises, pointed out that, unlike the UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Wilmington campuses, the terrain in Chapel Hill poses a unique challenge for bikers.
