Melissa Gasia
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne has implemented a bike library, the Leo Bike Library, to help alleviate parking issues enabling students, faculty and staff to borrow a bicycle for free for up to a week.
“They can ride them around campus, to or from class and from the dorms to help them not bring cars to campus,” said Parking and Transportation Manager Lisa Grater, who started the Leo Bike Library.
The University already offers free bus passes for public transportation at Woody Hall to members of the campus.
Grater said she wanted to further reduce the parking situation by encouraging more students to become bike riders.
Professor of Photography Gary Colby regularly rides a bike to school and said the city of La Verne should partner up with the University by painting more bike lanes to keep bikers safe and attract more bikers.
The Leo Bike Library currently has limited bicycles. It is still growing so it is recommended to make a reservation or call to find out if there is a bike available before going to the Campus Safety office to check one out.
Members have to provide an ID number, driver’s license and fill out a form saying they are responsible for the bicycle and know how to ride it. U-lock, key and helmet will be provided if needed.
“For people who go across the campus and it’s a long walk, it would very efficient for them,” said senior business administration major Alexandra Serna, who commutes from Monrovia.
Grater said she had to work out some details for others to recognize the campus bikes. The campus bikes currently have markings on them so the Campus Safety officers could identify them.
They soon hope to color code the bikes with the University’s school colors, orange and green, to make them more easily identifiable.
“It’s a lot of trust that the bikes will come back but it’s easy for the kids,” Grater said. “You just check it out like a library book.”
If the bicycle is returned later than the designed time, the student just has to let the office know.
If the bicycle is not returned at all, the person will be charged $100 for the bike.
Grater said Campus Safety found out that after each semester is over, the officers have to watch the bikes more carefully before they can get stolen by outsiders.
Campus Safety recommends bicycle owners to register their bikes at the Campus Safety office so that reported missing bikes have better chances to be tracked down by the police with the kept information.
To register a bike, bike owners have to take a picture of their bike and fill out a form regarding the bike’s information.
Bike owners who register their bike will get a free U-lock for added theft protection.
More information can be found at sites.laverne.edu/campus-safety/bike-information/ or by calling 909-448-4725.
Melissa Gasia can be reached at melissa.gasia@laverne.edu.
