UO’s Bike Program is set to have free trip sign ups and a bike sale on September 28. The event is aimed at getting new University of Oregon students involved in the Bike Program and biking around campus.
With the efforts of the Bike Program as well as the construction of protected bike lanes around Eugene and the expansion of PeaceHealth rides, biking in Eugene is becoming more accessible to UO students.
The Bike Program functions as a part of the Outdoor Program and occupies a space on the ground floor of the EMU.
It offers a space for people to repair their bikes and provides free parts to students. They sell necessities like bike locks and helmets at an affordable price.
For students that aren’t yet ready to make their own repairs, the Bike Program staff are there to help. Students can also enroll in bike school, which teaches them how to fix common problems with their bikes.
These are just some of the resources offered by the Bike Program that often go underused by UO students, according to Nancy Serrano, UO senior and Bike Program employee. The program also organizes biking trips for students to get them involved in the UO bike community.
“The people you’ll meet here are amazingly cool,” Serrano said. “Not only is it a good way to get out and meet people, but it’s a really good way to [get] acquainted with Eugene.”
For students that aren’t ready to invest in their own bikes, PeaceHealth rides offer an affordable alternative. PeaceHealth rides have over 20 different stations on or near campus, and their prices are significantly lower for students.
“Bike Share might be a better resource for those who are interested in starting to use bicycles more as a way to commute,” Serrano said.
Next, PeaceHealth will be expanding to Springfield after the city council agreed to a charter program which will include 100 new bikes and roughly 14 new bike hubs in the city.
Since 2020, the city of Eugene has spoken about the prospect of e-scooters. According to Karen Mason, transportation planner for the city of Eugene, contracting an E-scooter provider is a two step process.
“We granted Bird conditional approval in May,” Mason said. “We are currently working with them for final approval.”
Eugene is already known as a bike-friendly city, and recent and future developments to biking infrastructure will connect the UO campus with the rest of the city.
Eugene built its largest protected bike lane down 13th Avenue starting spring of 2020. The city is waiting for approval from the Oregon Department of Transportation for two more projects that will continue to develop biking infrastructure according to Reed Dunbar, transportation planner for the city of Eugene.
The first proposed project would install a protected bike lane on High Street from Amazon Park to the Willamette River, while the second would renovate 8th Avenue, especially near the new farmers’ market pavilion, and include a protected bike lane from High Street to Lincoln Street.
The city hopes they will receive approval for these projects in time to break ground this fall.
With the completion of these projects, downtown Eugene and the UO campus will be connected by an unbroken stretch of protected bike lanes, enabling UO students who often stick to campus to venture into downtown Eugene.
For students interested in joining the UO Bike Program information is available on the UO Outdoor Program website. The bike sale and trip sign up starts at 5 p.m. September 28.