Miami University's ASG Working To Bring Bike Share To Campus

BY SCOTT SUTTON
Miami University journalism student

Miami University's Associated Student Government is working to bring bike-sharing to Oxford.

ASG is working with VeoRide, a start-up company created at Purdue University, to make the project a reality. The bike-sharing will begin at Miami in spring 2018.

Bob Feldman, a member of faculty in Miami's kinesiology and health department, reached out to VeoRide to express interest. He spoke at a Student Community Relations Council meeting and received great feedback.

ASG's Secretary for Infrastructure and Sustainability Alex Wortman campaigned on the idea of bike-sharing in Oxford.

“Students want this. We’ve been championing it for the past three years,” said Wortman. “We want to see actual bikes on campus."

The bikes for the program will be station-less. They have a center kick which allows them to be free standing. Riders will pay $2 per hour and 50 cents every 15 minutes to use the bikes.

Getting the word out

Student organizations are being contacted to push the bike-share program, according to Wortman.

Secretary of Off Campus Affairs Sean Perme is a big advocate for the project.

“Our goal from the beginning was that we have integration in the Oxford community and the campus,” said Perme. “The (Oxford) Chamber of Commerce has expressed much interest. If we reached out they would be behind it.”

The main concern for the student government has been liability should bike users have any incidents. Veoride, however, has a $2 million policy that covers liability. The university will not be legally liable for accidents or bikes.

Veoride wants to give Miami a trial period where they will give Miami the bikes for free to see if it is a success. ASG is in preliminary talks with Veoride on that, according to Perme.

Top photo: Miami could be home to a bike-sharing program this spring. -- Contributed photo