Automated Campus Bike-Share Program Adds to Sustainability Mission

Roughly a year and a half ago during a trip to a mall in Palm Springs, Calif., Ron Fleming, interim director of Parking and Transportation Services at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) came up with an idea while standing with his daughter near an automated stroller system that locked strollers in place. That was when he decided that a similar automated system would be beneficial for a bike system at UCI.

“Often with bike programs, bikes get stolen because there is no ownership,” Fleming said.

After his initial brainstorm, Fleming took the idea to UCI’s Parking and so the wheels to create ZotWheels, an automated campus bike-share program began to roll. According to Lynne Harris, special program coordinator of the UCI Parking unit, ZotWheels was officially launched in November.

The membership based program requires a $40 annual fee that allows students, faculty and staff to check out a bike for three-hour time slots. Members must complete online registration, sign a liability waiver and pass an online bicycle safety course.

There are 28 bicycles in circulation and four ZotWheels stations with 40 bicycle ports to ensure there is a place for students to return the bikes at either of the stations on UCI’s campus, according to Harris. A participant swipes his or her membership card through a card reader at one of the stations thereby releasing a bike from a port for use. By signing the liability waiver, participants agree to ride no farther than 10 miles from campus. A text message is sent notifying the rider when the three-hour period is ending.

“It’s bike share – meant to be a continuous turnover process,” Harris said. “The idea is to take it when you need it and then, leave it for someone else to use.”

UCI collaborated with Central Specialties Ltd, the company that produced the stroller system that inspired Fleming at the mall to implement the automated system. ZotWheels is similar to automated bike systems began in Europe in 2007, Fleming said.

The design of the bikes was created by The Collegiate Bicycle Co. (CBC). Each bike is a custom cruiser that reflects the University’s blue and gold colors and anteater mascot. The custom design helps prevent theft and makes it easier to recover any lost or stolen bikes, according to Jonathan Sobin, director of business development for CBC.

“We’ve also found that doing this really helped students take pride in the program,” Sobin said.

ZotWheels membership fees support the Parking unit’s cost of maintaining the program.

“Fees go directly back into the program,” Harris said. “[ZotWheels] is not for profit. It is part of our sustainability initiative.”

UCI’s Sustainable Transportation Services initiative emphasizes improving air quality by lowering campus and community motor vehicle traffic.

Bike-share programs are considered in campus sustainability evaluations. The Sustainability Endowments Institute, a non-profit organization that conducts research to enhance sustainability practices on campuses, publishes an annual green report card that evaluates the sustainability activities at colleges and universities. Bike-share programs fall under the Transportation category, according to Lea Lupkin, senior research associate for SEI.

“We are placing more and more importance on bike-share programs,” she said. “[The programs] offer fairly low cost options for students and faculty and more efficiency without dependence on fuel.”

Affordability and convenience are aspects that ZotWheels aims to address.

ZotWheels will help members cut back on gas and parking fees and allow them to squeeze in the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, Sobin said.

The City of Irvine has been discussing plans with The UCI Parking unit to expand the bike-share system to other parts of the area.

“People have to try new things, otherwise there is not much advancement,” Fleming said. “Biking is a growing future aspect of our transportation [systems].”