Bikes-for-cars program almost perfect

By Staff Editorial     3/26/09 7:00pm

Since the Thresher's main mode of communication still takes place via dead trees, it may seem a touch ironic that we would espouse the Rice Graduate Apartments' attempt to go green (see story, page 1). With the installation of the bikes-for-cars program, Rice has taken the environmental ball and run with it, all the way to a sustainable future.The meat of the program is commendable - trading cars for bikes will eliminate both congestion and carbon emissions - but a few details need to be tweaked in order for this program to reach its fullest potential. First, the cost of the bikes, $750, is an exorbitant amount. As we are all aware, we are in the midst of the Great Recession, meaning that any inordinate expenditures should be axed before they reach their final stages. While we understand that the bikes are LEED certified, there are times when you must make sacrifices for the health of the pocketbook. If you halve the price tag of these bikes, you will still receive a quality bicycle and double your potential consumer base. You could even consider giving the tenants a voucher for a bicycle instead of selecting one for them, although that may limit discounts.

Furthermore, giving these bikes away to students who promise to refrain from registering a motor vehicle is a smart choice, but allowing these students to keep these bikes gratis is foolhardy. There is nothing to prevent the students from leaving their cars at home for a year, collecting a high-quality bicycle, and returning the next year with both bike and car in hand. Were the bikes to be attached to the room - say, in the same way as a washer and dryer - students could use these bikes only as long as they were tenants. This way, the bikes would stay as property of the complex, reusable for years, and students would not be able to take the system for a ride.

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