Ally Reeves was riding her bicycle to campus one morning when a car struck her from behind on Central Avenue. Though she chose to not to file the incident or notify police, she’s not biked to school since.
“I never thought something like that would happen to me,” she said. “I rode my bike to and from school for over a year and haven’t once been scared someone would actually hit me.”
Reeves, an education junior at the University of Memphis, was not injured, but her bike was severely damaged. Though she still enjoys biking in areas that are free from traffic, she said everyone should be aware of their surroundings when participating in the activity.
Tiger Bike Share coordinator Art Johnson said the bike rental program on campus focuses on safety, so accidents like Reeve’s will be eliminated.
“Before a student can even check out a bike, there is a process they have to go through because safety is our top priority,” he said.
For $35 per semester, the Tiger Bike Share program allows students to rent a bike from the University for two weeks at a time. Each student must complete a safety orientation before they take the bike out on the road.
“We talk to each renter about their bike so they know what they are getting into and how to secure the bike,” Johnson said. “On top of that, they are required to watch a bike safety film produced by the University of Memphis and we make them perform a test ride in the parking lot.”
The program started in spring 2012 when sustainability manager Amelia Mayahi proposed the idea to University administrators. A similar bike rental program used at Rhodes College sparked the idea.
Funding for the program comes from a $10 per semester fee each full-time student is required to pay. Named the Green Fee fund, the money funded $540,654 in environmental projects like the bike rental program last year.
Many foreign exchange students take advantage of the program so they can have a source of transportation, since they are not limited to riding it around campus.
“Not only is biking better for our environment but it makes the commute to class easier and is convenient if you do not own a vehicle,” Douglas Uzcategui, bike technician at Tiger Bike Share said.
Uzcategui said people tend to rent bikes more in the fall semester because it is warmer, but pamphlets are passed out around campus year round to promote the program. Advocates will also be on campus to talk about the program on Earth Day.
“There are so many advantages of biking,” Uzacategui said. “I would recommend it to anybody.”
The Tiger bike program gives students without transportation a safe and easy way to get around. According to director Art Johnson, they focus on safety to prevent accident and injuries from ever occouring.
