Check out this article. In an effort to address a parking shortage, Ripon College, a small liberal arts college in Wisconsin, is giving incoming freshman a Trek 820 mountain bike, a helmet, and a lock if they promise not to bring a car to campus for a full year. Here's an excerpt from the article:
"We're a residential college with a beautiful, historic campus in the middle of a small town," said President David Joyce, an avid cyclist. "Paving it over was not an option I was willing to consider."
He hopes the 1,000-student campus' "Velorution Program" will protect it from building more parking lots.
"We obviously live in a car culture. That's not about to change," Joyce said. "But if a significant number of students learn that a car isn't a necessity at this stage of their lives, that's good enough for me."
How ironic that you would mention Ripon College and how they are giving away Treks. They sent me something in the mail around Christmas about joining their varsity cycling team. . . yes I said VARSITY cycling. How sweet is it that they are willing to give their cycling team varsity status?
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean there is a JV team and a varsity cycling team? wow.
ReplyDeleteWow - Hopefully this program will expand (other colleges, businesses, etc.)!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Ripon college. Man, I went to college in the wrong decade!! No collegiate championships and certainly no free bikes.
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