Soon, students and faculty will be able to rent bikes and to ride them to Appleton destinations. Funded through the campus center and the Class of 1965 Student Activity Grant, bikes will be available to rent with an ID.
Hayley Vatch, a senior involved with the project, said that 10 bikes will likely be available by the beginning of Spring Term 2009.
The bikes will be from Trek, a Wisconsin-based company. According to Vatch, this is ideal, because “buying bikes from a manufacturer as close to Appleton as possible reduces the carbon imprint that the shipping of the bikes will have, and buying from a somewhat local company supports Wisconsin’s economy.”
In order to rent out bikes, renters will need to complete waivers available at the union and to leave their LU IDs at the Information Desk. Vatch said, “The waivers will remind students that they are responsible for any damages to the bikes while they are renting them.” Each renter will receive a key to a bike and a helmet.
Next year, the same process will happen in the campus center.
There will be no overnight renting and renters must be aware of the local bike laws. There is no biking on the sidewalks downtown on College Avenue.
Greg Griffin, campus center director, said, “The immediate impact [of this bike rental program] will be a reduction in the need to use a car for trips and appointments in and around town. Students, without any planning, can get a bike and peddle off to anywhere in town.”
Continued Griffin, “A secondary green benefit is the bikes will be a visible reminder to all for us to think about our transportation choices … we don’t always need to jump in a car when we need to go somewhere.”
The Class of 1965 Student Activity Grant is an endowment created by the class of 1965 to fund student-sponsored events that help create a co-curricular atmosphere on campus. It also aims to reward student initiative and leadership. Amounts granted each year vary, but generally are $1,000-$5,000.
More information about applying and applications for this grant can be found on the Lawrence Web site or in the Alumni Office. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on the sixth Wednesday of each term.
2009 application deadlines for the Class of 1965 Grant are:
Second Term — Feb. 11
Third Term — May 6
1965 Grant Provides Bikes for Rent
