Drury University lends bicycles so students will ride, not drive

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- In spring 2009, Drury University students agreed to pay $20 a year for efforts to make the campus more environmentally friendly.

Now, the fee, which netted $32,000 the first year, is offering students a bike loan program.

Through the program, Drury students can check out a two-wheeler for a semester to pedal around campus and around town instead of driving a car, burning fossil fuel and spewing greenhouse gases into the air.

The program is free to Drury students, as long as they return the bikes in good condition by the end of the semester. Otherwise, a replacement fee of $250 will be charged.

For students, it's a way to get around more easily.

"It's really nice," said Jake Jobes, 18, a freshman from Raytown who lives on campus and walks to classes.

"It's going to make it lot faster," said Jobes, who plans to use his loaned bike to get around campus and downtown.

Wendy Anderson, director of campus sustainability at Drury, said the university decided to offer the bike loan program after students suggested proceeds from the $20 sustainability fee be used for a benefit tangible to students.

"They want something they can get their hands and feet on," Anderson said.

With $30,000 in hand, Drury spent $10,000 for a new 175-yard bike path from the intersection of Calhoun Street and Benton Avenue to Drury Lane after students complained about the lack of a bike route from Drury housing clusters to the main campus, Anderson said.

For the bike loan program, Drury bought 40 Jamis mountain bikes for $250 each from Springfield Bicycle Co. The model usually sells for $400 to $450, Anderson said.

Officials plan to spend the remaining $10,000 for a covered storage structure to keep the bikes out of the elements and away from thieves, Anderson said.

Another 20 used bicycles were donated by campus security. Those bikes will be available for short-term use.

Encouraging students to bike reduces car use and frees parking space on campus, Anderson said.

The program also has won support from Drury wellness director Matt Miller, who saw the opportunity to promote biking as an exercise and chipped in $3,000 to help purchase bike locks and repair tools, Anderson said.

To maintain the bikes, Drury is starting a bike shop with two student workers to offer free repair services, Anderson said.

On Monday afternoon, the 40 new bikes were ready for checkout for the fall semester on a first-come, first-served basis.

First in line was David Vong, 20, a pre-medicine junior who commutes to school from his home on the city's south side.

"It's really cool," said Vong, who biked 33 minutes on the new Jamis to Drury Tuesday morning in the summer humidity.

Driving, he said, takes 20 to 30 minutes because of traffic delays.

Garret Shelenhamer, 20, a junior majoring in criminology, psychology and sociology, got the last Jamis bike Monday afternoon.

He plans to pedal to his twice-weekly volunteer service at Big Brothers Big Sisters and to classes when he is in a hurry.

In his free time, he would go biking.

"I love exercise," said Shelenhamer, a track athlete.