FREE CYCLES MISSOULA

April 2, 1997

Dear Task Force Members,

Free Cycles Missoula is a nonprofit organization with the mission of turning unused bicycles into reliable transportation for the community. With the help of schools, civic groups, local businesses, and many other supportive Missoulians, we have launched a program that we are designing to sustain itself well into the future. Realizing that it is going to take a diversity of programs to maximize the benefits of cycling in this community, we are introducing Checkout Missoula, a bicycle library of sorts that will attempt to make short-term bicycle lending widely available. In certain situations, this is more effective than personal bicycle ownership- a greater number of people can take advantage of a smaller number of bikes.

How it will work: With an initial goal of sixty bikes to begin this checkout system, we are proposing that thirty of these be allocated to the University of Montana through four different 'stations' on campus- the University Center, the Family Housing complex, the Dornblazer lot, and at an already approved Free Cycles hut located on University property, just east of the Madison Street bridge. There are two options for the actual checking out of the cycles. One would be for the student to fill out a 'quick slip', which would basically require the student's name and phone or address to be on a small piece of paper supplied at the station. The counter person at the station would then initial this slip after verifying the student's identification. The student would then receive a key and return time for one of the locked cycles outside the station. A second option would be to utilize the Griz card swiper system. Jorrun Liston and Gary Ratcliff talked about this and felt it might be better to start with the paper system with the option to go to the swiper system in the future. The swiper system will be easier to implement when the University has the new computerized inventory software installed. In either case, the counter person's time is minimal and Free Cycles would have a record of the last rider should a problem arise.

The Four Stations

The University Center: This location is ideal because of the high student flow through the area and because of the long hours of operation. Would there need to be a separate rack, designated for checkout bikes only? Ken Willett has suggested looking into bicycle lockers. A point to consider is that all checkout bikes have kickstands. Could this rack also be for the free-roaming green bikes? Can you think of a solution? Some of the bikes have a shorter checkout time, i.e. 2 or 4 hours to encourage well thought out trips, and a higher turnover so more students can enjoy the bikes.

Family Housing: This is another ideal location because of its proximity to campus and thus its conduciveness to cycling. Kelly Magnuson is willing to help out in having a station at her community center. These might need to be longer checkouts for folks having a spread out class schedule. This brings up another thought.... should we be encouraging more back to back classes, which encourages fewer trips? These types of philosophies need to be considered and discussed throughout the whole process, regardless which solutions this and future task forces recommend. Another option is to allow bikes to be checked in and out of any campus station (and possibly integrate with other stations throughout the community at some point). It is our guess that patterns might start to emerge, and, with proper monitoring, reshuffling the fleet might not be a problem. We suggest starting off with a policy that says a bike must be returned to its original station with a longer vision to integrate stations.

Dornblazer lot: This is a very ideal location for students who commute from the south. Denny's Copy Stop has expressed interest in helping with this service to the community. His new customer service desk could be a great spot for handing out keys. The actual bikes could be placed on an existing concrete pad located a block east of the South & Higgins intersection. Though it might be better to have the bikes closer to Denny's Copy Stop, i.e. on the southeast corner of the intersection or just outside Denny's establishment on the northeast corner. This station could be a great complement to any van shuttle system that might be implemented. This parking lot would probably be much more effective being utilized for commuters instead of freshmen parking their cars off-campus; which could actually encourage more driving now that those spots are freed up at the dorms. But I guess that is one of our goals- to free up spots on campus. Thoughts on this?

Free Cycles Hut: The University granted permission last fall to Free Cycles Missoula to obtain or construct a structure to be placed just east of the Madison Street Bridge. If students knew they could park at this peripheral lot and have a way to get to class in a time-efficient, healthy, economical (less circling and searching), fun manner, then we might start to reduce some of the inner-lot congestion. Free Cycles would like this 'hut' to be a partnership between several organizations. Talks have begun with MUD, Solar Plexus, the Center for Resourceful Building Technology, and the Core Link program of Montana Conservation Corp. This station could also be a demonstration project, utilizing alternative energy and resource conservation.

The Bikes Themselves: These thirty cycles would be some of the better bikes that have been donated to Free Cycles over the past year. The typical bike would be a cool, commuting machine complete with fenders, basket, chain guard, upright handlebars, and comfortable seat. Most would have a coaster brake for ease of operation and maintenance (and a 'slicker' appearance). They would not be painted but would be marked as a Checkout Missoula bike in some way (maybe a sticker, or maybe the lock welded to the frame).

A word on reviving old bicycles instead of buying new ones-- older bicycles are, in general, of much better quality then the ones being mass-produced today. We have bikes over 40 years old that makes you feel like you are on a magic carpet ride! And they will last for a very long time with proper care. It is also much cheaper, as you will see in the next section, to revive an old bike then to buy a new one. And it is usually better to reuse and recycle then to expend valuable new resources. It also gives our volunteers an opportunity to help and learn about community participation. Another advantage is that used bikes all have their own character, personality and charm.

Costs: The average cost to renovate each cycle is as follows:

Future options: For now, it should be encouraged for cyclists to provide their own helmets, but what about having helmets available at the stations? Other future options include lights and snow tires. The possibility also exists to utilize the new bike shop in the Rec. Annex. Over the next year, we will actively be seeking grants, donations, business sponsors and other possible funding sources. Ultimately, this could be self-supporting in the most basic sense-- user fees (i.e. a quarter a ride). If a trial runs works, the possibility of buying new bikes should also be explored. Free Cycles will also conduct surveys throughout the year to determine new approaches. We would also be willing to help with safety and awareness issues. Rules of the Road, proper conduct, University policy, etc. could even be permanently affixed to the basket bottoms.

This program could have a much greater affect then the actual use of the cycles-- it could go a long way towards awareness, values, and sense of place in the University and community setting. Thanks for your time, and feel free to call with any questions.