Last Wednesday morning, the University of Akron celebrated the brand-new Bike Share Program with a kickoff event that took place in front of the University of Akron’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Photo by:Â Brooklyn Dennison, Editor-in-Chief of the Buchtelite.
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Featuring music, program information, and giveaways, the kickoff presented a collaboration between the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Summit Cycling Center, and the University that would benefit the entire student body in one way or another.
The newest Bike Share program offered on campus at UA allows students to borrow a bike for free with their student Zip Card. Not only does this benefit students who do not have their personal cars on campus, but it makes traveling between classes in buildings quicker and more enjoyable.
Photo by: Brooklyn Dennison
President Wilson, Kyle Kutuchief, Taylor Bennington, and John MacDonald line up on the bikes outside the Student Recreation and Wellness Center
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“We are hoping this creates a way for students to experience more of what the city of Akron has to offer,” said Kyle Kutuchief, the Knight Foundation’s Akron program director, in a news release. Many students on campus do not have their own cars, hindering their travel beyond the borders of campus. The bike share program will allow them to take the bikes anywhere in the downtown Akron area, provided the bikes are returned by the guidelines, and there is no damage to the bike or equipment. This makes it easier for students with off campus jobs to get where they need to go without needing to catch a bus.
Taylor Bennington, president of the undergraduate student government, told Buchtelite that the program was started two years prior by former USG Justice Felicia Rosin. She believed that the University did not have enough resources for students to get around campus, and Bennington agreed. When the idea was presented to the University, they were able to partner with the Knight foundation to fund the program, where the idea became a reality.
To check-out a bike, bring your Zip Card to the front desk in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center or Parking Services next to Simmons Hall.