The Green Bikes Program here at Colgate provides easy, fun, and sustainable transportation for students and faculty by renting out bicycles each semester. The goal of the Green Bikes Program is to increase bicycle commuting, reduce driving and fossil fuel use, and promote healthy living choices. The Green Bikes Program supports Colgate’s larger goal and ambitious commitment to be carbon neutral by 2019. Advancing sustainability will take leaders, and the best way to lead is by example. Every Green Bikes rider serves as a role model who implicitly states, “I support alternative transportation.” Whether seen around campus or downtown, Green Bike riders show that travelling sustainably is a great way to stay in shape while reducing air pollution. The benefits of bicycling are numerous; it’s great exercise, it’s cheaper than automobiles, and it’s the most fun way to get anywhere using your legs and feet just to name a few.
The Green Bikes Program is constantly improving. This summer, we purchased 14 new bikes bringing our total fleet to 26. While demand for our bikes continues to outpace our growing fleet, we will continue to purchase new bikes each year. The Office of Sustainability is also pleased to announce the renovation of our current rental space in the tunnel of Drake Hall.The new space will be revamped to include not only a storage area but also a new, completely furnished, Green Bikes Maintenance Lounge. We believe that this is a necessary step towards creating a “bike culture” here at Colgate. We believe that while the number of Colgate students who ride bikes to and from class everyday is still small; with a more visual presence on campus, however, we hope to further promote bike commuting as an attractive option over driving. Moreover, we believe that between our efforts and those of our community, we can work towards a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future here, at Colgate.
The Green Bikes Program has three rental periods annually. The first is in the Fall from September 1st through November 1st. In the Spring, bikes are available from March 1st through May 1st. Finally, Green Bikes will be available every summer all summer. Green Bikes registration is done online and can be found here. With bikes so easily available what’s stopping you from becoming a sustainable role model?