One-hundred bicycles have been unleashed upon the Mississippi State University campus in an effort to get students and faculty mobile. Tentatively titled the MSU Bike Share Program, the bicycles were dispersed throughout campus for anyone to use and leave at their destination for free.
The bikes debuted last week after arriving on the final day of the fall semester. Associate dean of students Thomas Bourgeois said the program became a reality through the support of former Interim President Vance Watson and Student Association President Braxton Coombs.
“We have talked about having such a program on campus for a few years and even threw around the idea of purchasing a bike for every incoming freshman,” Coombs said. “Finally, Dr. Watson got behind it and said, ‘Just make it happen.'”
Unlike most bike programs at other universities, the MSU version is rare due to the fact potential riders do not need to register to participate – just find a bike and go.
Bourgeois said the program has already received attention from colleges all over the U.S. and even abroad.
Costing about $16,500, the program is funded through MSU Parking Services with money coming from parking decal sales and ticket fees. Parking services is also in charge of performing routine maintenance and placing the bikes in various locations throughout the day.
Mike Harris, director of parking services, became a part of the program because bicycles are seen as any other form of transportation on campus.
“Parking services got involved with the bicycle share program because it is part of our overall Transportation Demand Management Program,” he said. “This program includes parking, shuttles, pedestrian, bicycles, carpooling initiatives and . bicycles are just one spoke of the overall TDM program.”
Bourgeois said users are expected to treat the bikes with care. If they do not, then riders could face criminal charges or even expulsion, he said.
“[The bikes] are state of Mississippi property and should a student, staff or faculty [member] be found using it [the bike] inappropriately . then there will be a severe penalty,” Bourgeois said. “If a student is found doing it . that student will probably no longer be a student.”
Harris said a small number of bikes have been mishandled, but for the most part the program is being well received.
“Some [bikes] have been abused and these are being repaired as soon as we discover the problem,” he said. “Overall, however, the program is going well but we do ask that . [if bikes] are in need of repair that you please contact our office.”
Although each bike is rumored to have a tracking device, Bourgeois said the administration is not saying how the bicycles are being monitored, though they are looking into various programs showing where the bicycles are located at all times. He said bikes should stay solely on MSU property and not be taken to off-campus apartments or downtown.
In order to promote bike safety, Harris said parking services is selling helmets in a variety of colors for $15.
Undeclared freshman Ann Claire Mullin said she and two friends have ridden the bikes every day in order to stay in shape.
“We do this every day for fun exercise and to see the campus,” Mullin said. “I do think that there are some people who do not treat them [the bikes] right.”
If the program becomes successful, Bourgeois said he hopes for it to grow to 500 bikes and also add a basket to the front of each bike for students to place their backpacks. In addition to the growth of the program, Bourgeois said he is looking for students’ opinions to dictate where the share program will go.
“I really want the students to help us with creating a name for the program, telling us where to place the bikes throughout campus and to treat the bikes with care,” he said. “Of course we’re going to have a few bad apples that may steal or damage the bikes, but I think our students hold themselves to a higher standard and . it takes the students to do a little self-policing, and I think we can do it.”
For more information about the bicycle sharing program, contact the office of parking services at 325-3526 or visit parkingservices.msstate.edu.