Sitting in the first meeting of the bike group a few weeks ago, I felt very excited to be a part of the creation of a bike share program. We were told of fledgling programs at other institutions like Pitzer College in Claremont and presented with a multitude of resources at our disposable like local bike shops, cheap bike auctions, and even the Oxy administration. It seemed as if the steps of establishing a successful program were already laid out for us and that we were here just to see them through.

But as I began thinking about how we would actually execute these tasks of the early planning stage, I remembered and realized why bike share programs at other schools had taken so long to take effect without complete support from an administration. I believe this is to due to the fact that each campus culture is unique and a particular bike share program must cater to that campus’ wants and needs. And ultimately it’s about getting the students behind the idea, since they will be the ones carrying out changes and adapting to a new transportation method. The key for our bike group is to figure out how best to approach biking at Oxy – which will surely take many learning experiences.

Sitting in a UEP class, it is easy to forget that not everyone is super pumped up about saving/preserving our environment and that more attractive incentives must be provided for a realistic chance at change. I like talking with friends that are not in any UEP class about ideas and passing plans by them to get their realistic reactions and attitudes that probably represent a clearer idea of the student population as a whole. That’s not to say a few social “change agents” can’t change the general view of student body…

A side note: Everyone I’ve been telling about the solar project at Oxy seems really excited and interested – because it’s good for the school and the environment (and doesn’t necessarily require any effort on their part.

When creating student-dependent programs, we must remember how much students are really willing to sacrifice. Also, we must decide if a system is truly feasible and will actually be effective. Here are some examples:

- Implementing a parking permit fee at Oxy probably isn’t going to cut down car-usage as most students with cars would tend to be able to afford a permit fee. But at the same time, this fee would be worth it because it could generate funds to use in other projects.

- If Zipcar had a presence on campus, is a student really going to stop bringing a car unless he or she knows for sure that they will be able to gain access to a Zipcar whenever he or she wants? Personally, I would totally use this program to drive to the beach and to concerts in L.A. (the only reasons I use my own car here). But this is granted that a car would be available when I needed it – if students know that there will most likely not be a car available when they need one on the weekends, faith in the system will not exist and the system will be ineffective.

The point I’m trying to make is that it will be hard to get it right the first time, as it always is. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go ahead and initiate stuff to get the ball rolling…