(Photos: WashCo Bikes)
A fleet of 20 new bicycles is headed to two Portland Community College campuses on the westside. The bikes are part of a partnership between Hillsboro-based WashCo Bikes and PCC’s Sylvania and Rock Creek locations.
According to WashCo Bikes Director Joe Kurmaskie, the goal of the program is to provide a fleet of quality, durable bikes students can rent for the entire semester. Unlike a bikeshare program, these bikes will belong to the student who can use it as their own bike on and off-campus. For $15 a term (or $5 per month), students receive a Civia Lowry bicycle (with fenders and lights pre-installed), a lock, and a helmet.
The program is funded jointly by WashCo Bikes and PCC, both of whom say they hope to add bikes each semester to reach a target fleet size of 250 to 300.
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PCC Active Transportation Manager John Carter has spearheaded this program on both campuses. Recently completed student surveys and in-person conversations have found a strong demand from potential bike riders — even at these relatively car-centric campuses. “We have more students interested in participating than available bikes,” he said in a statement. In addition to the bikes, Carter says the fleet will be assembled and maintained by a bike shop at the Rock Creek campus staffed by student mechanics.
Kurmaskie said it’s all about his organization’s region-wide push to help people live more low-car lives. “Every student commuting to class via transit and bike is one less car on campus. It’s good for their health, the environment and we hope will foster structural changes to the campuses. Imagine more paths and bike corrals and less parking lots.”
If you want to learn more, the new bikes will debut at two Transit Resource Fair events scheduled for Thursday November 7th at PCC Sylvania and November 12th at PCC Rock Creek. Learn more about both events here.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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