The deadline for implementing the University’s proposed bike-share program, known as UBike, has been pushed back indefinitely. The program was set to start this month.
The delay comes as the University waits for a recently certified GPS lock upgrade, which links the system’s hardware to its software and tracks who has each bike and where it is located.
Bikes, stations and other necessary equipment are being stored in a warehouse until the project is given a green light. The software, which features the New York-based “Social Bicycles” phone app and the website ubike.virginia.edu, is also now accessible, awaiting launch.
UBike will be composed of 17 bike stations and 120 bikes placed around Central Grounds, with notable locations including the Corner, the Aquatic and Fitness Center and Newcomb Hall. Bikes can be picked up and dropped off at any of the stations, all of which can be found using the Social Bicycles app.
Prices vary with length of membership. A daily membership costs $5, a monthly membership costs $20 and an annual membership runs $80. Anyone with a University affiliation can purchase an annual membership for $60.
The bike-share program was initially proposed in 2008 by a group of undergraduates, who shaped UBike as the ideal transportation solution to accommodate future enrollment growth. In 2011, the University was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation to adopt the program.
The grant has covered 80 percent of the program’s costs, including the feasibility study and implementation. The rest of the funding has come directly from the University’s Department of Parking and Transportation, specifically through meters and garage fees. When the grant money runs dry, Department Director Rebecca White said the operating costs will have to be covered from somewhere else.
“The financial model, for the most part, does not necessarily pay for itself,” White said. “When the grant runs out, we’ll need to ask those questions about how it will be subsidized.”
Advertisements may serve as a potential source of revenue, having proven successfully in other bike-sharing schemes in New York, but White said the department is still exploring options.
“[W]e've got a couple of years to see what the community is interested in doing,” White said.
At present, the main on-Grounds transportation service available to students is the University Transit Service bus system, which offers consistency but not necessarily flexibility.
“There’s going to be a more spatial aspect — the [bikes] will [better] penetrate into where people want to go, for instance right outside the door of Alderman or O’Hill,” White said, “So its kind of meant to be a complement to UTS, providing people with a mobility option when they don’t want to wait for the bus.”
The limited carbon footprint of the bike system also increases its appeal. From the bikes to the dispensing machines, the entire program will run on solar power.
Third-year Commerce student Faith Lyons, the director of University relations for Student Council, said Council plans to play an integral role in moving forward with the project.
“We were involved in giving input for final stages of implementation,” Lyons said. “Once bikes are on Grounds, we [will] publicize it via social media, like Facebook and Twitter. We’re very supportive of [the program] and we think it will be great once it’s running.”
Lyons stressed the affordability and accessibility UBike intends to bring to commuters on Grounds.
“I think its another opportunity for transportation on Grounds — a sustainable option,” Lyons said. “It offers a convenient way to get around Grounds for those that haven’t purchased their own bike.”
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