UBike, the University’s bicycle sharing program, has offered students another mode of transportation since its official launch on Jan. 20, 2015. The program has seen success in attracting students with over 677 registered users since its launch, according to Nneka Sobers, the University’s transportation demand management coordinator. Going forward, UBike should create additional hubs on top of its existing 19 and modify its membership structure to support increased ridership. Currently, the only subscriptions that include discounts for students are its six- and 12-month options.
With the exception of a UBike hub located on Preston Avenue outside of Blue Ridge Cyclery, the hubs are distributed around Grounds in areas such as Observatory Hill, Clark Hall and Alderman Library — the three hubs with the highest traffic, according to Sobers. There are no hubs in the Gooch-Dillard residence area or in Hereford College, which collectively house several hundred students. UBike should install hubs at these residential areas since they house students who may benefit most from additional transportation options, as Gooch-Dillard and Hereford are both far from Central Grounds. Additionally, hubs in remote on-Grounds residential areas such as Copeley and Faulkner may make those locations more appealing for students, as they would provide an alternative to the bus system should students wish for more flexibility in their schedule.
Moreover, while UBike offers lower rates for students, its current membership structure does not accommodate student schedules very well. The discounted six-month and year-long subscriptions for students are priced at $30 and $60, respectively. The subscriptions offered to non-students include a $15 monthly and $80 annual subscription. There is also the option of paying $3 per hour to ride. While the student subscriptions are relatively cheap, the lengths of the subscriptions do not align well with many students’ semesterly schedules.
For those who do not spend their summers on Grounds, it does not seem sensible to pay for a 12-month subscription — one that runs from August to May makes more sense. And a six-month subscription is longer than a semester yet does not cover the entire academic year. A discounted monthly subscription for students would make those who purchase a six-month UBike subscription in the middle of the fall semester more likely to return to the program when their subscriptions expire in the middle of the spring.
Bicycle sharing programs offer several benefits to universities, such as promotion of a healthy lifestyle and quick, environmentally friendly transportation. UBike currently allows students to enjoy these benefits at affordable rates; in order to expand the benefits of bicycle sharing to more students, UBike should pursue better bicycle hub distribution and subscription packages that accommodate student schedules.
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