In pursuit of greener campuses and carbon-reduction goals, many universities are nudging students, staff, and visitors to leave their cars behind. This can take the form of raising parking costs or cutting spaces. A more fortuitous solution presented itself to the University of Minnesota when the Twin Cities Nice Ride bike-sharing system announced it would cease operations in late 2022.
Since the University was a primary location for both Nice Ride bike stations and trip destinations, this news at first appeared to be a blow to the U’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Transportation is the number-two source of carbon emissions on the campus of 70,000 students and staff. With the removal of the system’s fleet of 1,300-plus pedal bikes from the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul, a popular and accessible option for emission-free trips was gone.
However, Transportation Programs Manager John Mark Lucas at the University’s Parking & Transportation Services department saw an opportunity for a win-win-win for mobility, carbon neutrality, and students who struggle with expenses. Lucas had heard about and admired bike libraries on other campuses, such as Gator Gears at the University of Florida, where students can check out bikes the way they check out books.
Gopher Bikes pops up
University bike libraries usually start with a purchased fleet or with acquisition of abandoned bicycles, which are then painted and branded. In the U of M’s case, Nice Ride was willing to donate 280 total serviceable bikes instead of scrapping them. The Twin Cities campus took 180 of those bikes, and the University’s Morris and Duluth campuses took the rest. The donation enabled the University to start a bike library for students with no fleet acquisition costs. Gopher Bikes was born.
Rollout began in September 2023 with pre-promotion through the University's Housing and Residential Life and International Student and Scholar Services departments. Bikes were offered for semester-long or year-long rental; by the end of the first day, students had checked out all 100 of the first wave of bikes and 20 people were on a waitlist. Fifty more of the bikes are now available to students for daily use.
"[Students] are really happy that they have a way to get around campus,” Lucas says. “Some are student workers who need to get to their jobs on campus, and they tell us how they rely heavily on the bike to get them to work. And students who live off campus are surprised that it's OK to take them home."
Operations and costs
The bike library builds on the University's extensively developed infrastructure—which has helped it earn the designations of Platinum-level Bicycle-Friendly Business and Bicycle-Friendly Campus, certified by the League of American Bicyclists.
Most of the program’s $40,000 operating budget funds the salary for a part-time mechanic who maintains and repairs the bikes. Since the bikes are very sturdy, repairs have consisted mainly of fixing flat tires. The shop is located in a rent-free unused parking ramp office.
Future plans
Starting in 2024, students living on campus will check out bikes through their dormitories the same way they check out vacuum cleaners. The University hopes to keep the program free for students. Future additions could include lighter-weight bikes and additional styles, such as tricycles to accommodate riders with balance issues.
The current fleet is expected to last three to five years—factoring in age and bicycles that are lost or stolen, Lucas says. But so many student groups and the student government have inquired about expanding the program that he believes the demand will continue beyond the life of the current fleet. "Staff are also inquiring if it's available to them, so that’s another avenue that…we will need to explore in the future," he says.
Beyond the University, the program has earned the attention of the national Association for Commuter Transportation, which recognized Gopher Bikes with a 2024 ACT Commuter Options Award.
"My only regret is that I didn't ask for more bikes at the start," Lucas says. "We didn't know that it would be so popular."
—Ann Nordby, contributing writer
