Campus Bikes…Where Did They Go?

By Rakwan Hedgemond
Staff Writer

After the implementation of 25 yellow bikes on campus on Friday, Oct. 13 to help students get around, there is hardly a single bike to be found after a few weeks.

The bikes were released with chains unlocked by the code 1954 – the year the university began. Students were expected to follow an honor code, riding the bikes from Point A to Point B, and then leaving them in the racks for other students to enjoy, but that wasn’t the case.

Bikes were being hidden in student dorms and in several different “hiding spots” around campus. “It kind of sucks when you have class on the other side of campus and when you go to get a bike, there is nothing there,” Kyle Eustace, senior Digital Arts and Design major, said. “Sometimes I am running a little late to class so I try to get a bike, and I’m screwed,” he added.

Some students believe the bikes were a good idea. “The campus is large and the bikes allow students to maneuver themselves around campus better,” Carly Franqui, a senior criminal justice major, said.

Other students liked the opportunity to exercise. “The bikes were a good idea because it promotes fitness, it gets students to hang out [with] their friends and have fun,” Ashley Damis, a sophomore broadcasting major, said. “But the bikes are being misused. They should have had a key code, and only been granted permission by the RA on duty,” she added.

While they had a good run, the bikes slowly faded away, never to be found at the bike racks.

Students are advised to report any issues or maintenance problems, with the few bikes that remain, to the campus concierge in Hillwood Commons, or call at 516-299-2800. Any issues are brought to the attention of the Facilities Department and Office of Public Safety.