THE FACTS: University Student Centers and Student Government have planned the beginning of the WolfWheels bicycle sharing program for March 29, giving students the opportunity to rent bikes from Campus Recreation.
OUR OPINION: While the program is excellent in theory, a few practical questions must be addressed in order for it to be effective.
The University Student Centers and Student Government are putting the final touches on WolfWheels, a bicycle sharing program for students. They plan to roll the program out March 29, aiming to put 20 to 25 bicycles in a central location overseen by Campus Recreation.
This program is an admirable idea as it attempts to address major issues on campus like transportation, sustainability and fitness. However, while WolfWheels looks great on paper, there are questions and clarifications regarding its practical application.
It has nothing to do with excessive cost or impractical idealism — pragmatically speaking, students need to be familiar with WolfWheels’ strategy for dealing with theft, damages, location and existing traffic patterns.
Bicycle theft is not uncommon on campus, and determining how to deter such problems is important. WolfWheels planners have done an excellent job in providing locks and helmets, which will obviously help deter theft and minimize the chances that students suffer major injuries while riding rented bicycles. However, locks are not absolutely foolproof. A rental system, if tied to student identification cards for use, introduces the possibility of identity and property theft. If a student’s ID is stolen and used to check out a bicycle, the student is left responsible for replacing the bike and the thief may escape without consequence. Unless these issues have been considered by legal counsel, WolfWheels planners need to address them.
Further, determining liability for bicycle damage may also present a problem. It may be difficult to determine who is liable for certain damages, and it is additionally complicated if a bike is vandalized. A student who follows the rules and rents a bicycle should not be penalized if another student decides to sabotage it. The rules need to be made clear regarding student liability for such damages.
There is also the matter of traffic — while WolfWheels is intended to be one of the first small steps towards making campus less tedious to move around on, it does not address issues facing any attempts to reduce car traffic. Are cyclists expected to follow the rules of the road or will there eventually be dedicated bike lanes? Will the University take substantive steps to become pedestrian-friendly by starting to close roads on campus to motor traffic? True, WolfWheels is a pilot program, but ensuring students are in the loop in making necessary improvements is vital.
WolfWheels looks like an outstanding program on paper. In practice, it must strive to be and remain a strong project with actively solicited student feedback to endure.
