WSU will expand its Green Bike initiative and dedication to eco-friendly practices with the adoption of the BIXI bicycle system this fall.
The BIXI system, which is a combination of the words bicycle and taxi, is a public bike program that allows riders to take a rental bike from a given location and drop it off at another location.
The system was created by the Public Bike System Company and was first adopted in Montreal, Canada, last year, and has since spread internationally. The BIXI system at WSU is funded by students and will be free for students to use.
The WSU campus, which will receive 30 new BIXI bikes, will be one of three locations to implement the first wave of BIXI bicycles in the United States. Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C., will receive a total of 1,110 BIXI bikes for their combined 114 stations.
WSU’s bike rental system already has 40 Green Bikes in its stable, which are available at stations between the Rec Center and the CUB. They can also be checked out at the Outdoor Recreation Center.
The 40 Green Bikes will be transitioned into a long-term rental system, where people can check them out for up to seven days. The new BIXI bikes will be available for 24-hour rental periods.
The BIXI bikes will be located at docking stations on Valley Road, the Rec Center and the CUB, said Jamie Bentley, the environmental coordinator for the WSU Wellbeing Program and head of the Green Bike program. There will also be a fourth station at an undecided location.
Bentley said WSU is working with the company to make sure students will be able to access the bikes with just their CougarCards at each station. They are still working on finalizing details with BIXI regarding usage rates for WSU employees and Pullman community members.
The BIXI program praised the WSU student body for its dedication to environmental consciousness, she said.
“Students want to ride bikes, they want to drive less, they want to decrease our carbon emissions, and they want to decrease the air and noise pollution on campus,” Bentley said.
According to a press release from the Public Bike System Company last month, the BIXI bikes, though based on an older premise, they are eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
The BIXI bikes are made of mostly aluminum, which the Public Bike System Company says is more ecological and sustainable than other types of frame materials. They also feature an aesthetically pleasing design with sleek curves that enhance the urban landscape, the press release said.
The stations where the BIXI bikes are docked are completely portable and do not require any excavation. This prevents damage to the docking site and cuts the costs of preparatory work.
All BIXI docks are solar-powered to avoid creating any emissions and use wireless communication to connect to the community’s telecommunications grid.
According to the Public Bike System Company, the system was designed to be an enhancement to the urban landscape, not an impediment to enjoying it.
Bentley said the BIXI system will be a welcome addition to the green bicycle program’s fleet. The addition of these 30 bikes speaks volumes about the university, she said.
“To me, I think it says wonderful things about WSU and the student body that they really are committed to sustainability and eco-friendly practices,” she said.