In an attempt to promote environmental friendliness and mobility, Student Government approved the installation of bike repair stations around Florida Gulf Coast University’s campus this past spring.
A total of $7,573.61 was used to buy and distribute the pole-looking devices seven different locations on campus. An online tutorial and cell phone app is also available for students to reference as well.
Many students rely exclusively on their bikes for transportation. According to the FGCU website, more than 20 percent of students that live in University housing do not bring their automobiles to campus. SG’s bike repair stations give students the opportunity to fix flat tires and adjust their brakes.
Hannah Whyms, a senior majoring in communication, does not own a car. Instead, her bicycle is her main form of transportation. On an average day, Whyms can be seem riding her bike just about anywhere, which meant that she had to take special care in making sure that her bike had the proper maintenance.
“Before I would have to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get air in my tires,” Whyms said. “So if I can get it on campus to keep moving, its awesome! It’s definitely a great resource to students.”
Bicycles are a common form of transportation at FGCU, a school dedicated to sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Many students and faculty members can be seen biking from one area to another throughout the week, regardless of the time of day or the weather. Hundreds of bikes are packed in to the various bicycle racks stationed all over campus, and yet for the longest time students were left to their own devices to fix any technical problems that came along with owning and using a bike. Now flat tires can be the least of a student’s worries. “
They are an asset to students who ride a bike,” said Alex Metras, a sophomore and political science and philosophy major. “[The stations] support an alternative means of transportation to students that does not involve driving.” Some students may never use the repair stations. Others may not even notice their existence. But for students like Hannah Whyms, FGCU has provided the kind of support that will keep her traveling sustainably throughout her college career