Many San Diego State students use bicycles, skateboards or scooters to navigate campus and as efficient options for getting to class. SDSU has a bike lane straight through campus to accommodate them. Because so many students opt to arrive to their classes on wheels, a shared system of bicycles, such as what is available downtown and throughout mid-city, would make a lot of sense on campus.
In San Diego, the price to rent a DecoBike, or a rollout shared bicycle, is $7 per hour, $35 per week or $50 per month. With other options available for long-term membership, the system is a viable alternative when compared to the usual cost of a bicycle, which ranges from $100 to $300.
A bike-sharing system like this would ensure a person always had a place to store their bike during class and would provide peace of mind. The risk of theft anyone takes when locking his or her bike on campus would no longer be a factor with a campus-wide bike share.
An alternative transportation model like a bike share would also help students plan whether or not to arrange for parking spaces in their off-campus homes or on campus. It can take up to 15 minutes to walk across campus, a time that doubles or triples when walking to or from apartments or houses in the surrounding neighborhood. A bike share with stations throughout campus and the neighborhood could help address transportation and parking issues both at SDSU and in the College Area.
SDSU should take on a shared bicycle system because it is an affordable and convenient method of transportation. New San Diego city councilmember Georgette Gomez is an advocate for alternative transportation and claims on her website to be committed to making San Diego — including District 9, which includes SDSU and the College Area — more bike friendly. There is an opportunity for the university to work collaboratively with the city on a project that could go a long way in alleviating traffic and parking issues. Given the existing bicycle infrastructure throughout SDSU, a comprehensive bike-sharing program makes a lot of sense for the university, community and students.
