Students at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville now
have a two-wheeled transit option under a new program that will allow them to
borrow, ride and return bicycles on campus.
The program, called “Razorbikes,” was unveiled earlier this
month by the Parking and Transit department and the Associated Student
Government.
Mike Seither, associate director of transit, said the
program will start small, with seven bikes donated by a local business, but
will be supplemented with refurbished bicycles abandoned on campus. He hopes to
have 50 or so bicycles in rotation within a year.
“It will take about a year of attempting to build the bike
fleet before we have enough numbers to be a significant force on campus,”
Seither said.
The bicycles will help to extend the reach of the
university’s shuttle bus fleet, but Seither does not expect Razorbikes to
supplant any of the buses. “My experience with bikes and buses tells me that
bikes are an adjunct to transit rather than a replacement,” he said. “Of
course, bikes can go where buses can’t, so that extends the reach of
alternatives to one person, one car.”
During the school year, the transit fleet covers 14 routes
with 21 buses. Seither said 10 of the routes are active at any one time, with a
maximum of 14 buses operating simultaneously. The department also operates five
paratransit vehicles.
