One-hundred-and-fifty bright orange bikes have sprung up on the Utah State University campus in Logan. A coalition between USU’s Aggie Blue Bikes, the city of Logan, local bike shop Joyride and company Spin partnered to bring the bikeshares to USU on a provisional basis.
Program coordinator Meg McCarthy said one of the goals was to meet the high demand of USU students for bicycles. Aggie Blue Bikes offers used bicycle rentals to students, but there weren’t enough.
“Our demand was so high, especially during the fall and once it warms up,” McCarthy said. “We’ll have lines out the door. People will come early and set up hammocks in the bike racks waiting to get a bike. We only have between four or five bikes available a day. There are a lot of students wanting to ride and aren’t able to.”
The Spin Bikes are available to everyone, although USU students do receive a 50 percent discount. Bike rentals cost $1 for a 30-minute ride for non-students. The bikes are here on a trial basis and will disappear from campus in December. The university will then assesses the success of the bikeshare program and decides whether to continue it.
If you’re interested in catching the bikes while they’re in Logan, there is a community event Wednesday, April 11 that let’s you try them out.
“We’re having a Spin Inauguration ride. It’s a chance for the university and the city to celebrate this bikeshare coming here," McCarthy said. "All the bikes are going to be unlocked. People can use them for free and try it out. We’re going to meet across the street from the Beaver Mountain offices, pretty close to campus, and we’re just going to do a short little three-mile ride that’s going to highlight some of Logan’s new shared use paths. Celebrate with your community! We’re getting hip – we’re sustainable.”
