U-M students begin bike exchange in Ann Arbor

A small group of students at the University of Michigan are trying to roll a bike exchange program into Ann Arbor.The students at the Ross School of Business originally saw it as a money-making opportunity, but after trying to juggle the numbers they decided it made more sense as an example of civic pride and sustainability. “A project like this would act as a symbol of Ann Arbor’s and the University of Michigan’s green commitment,” says David Spiro, who is helping quarterback the effort and is about to become a junior at the Ross School of Business. “Then outsiders would be able to see more of our local green projects.”Bike sharing programs are popular in Europe where users swipe a card and have access to a number of bicycles around an area similar to a Zipcar program. The same idea would be implemented in Ann Arbor with students living at the outer edge of campus, say Oxford Housing, so they can more easily achieve a convenient and sustainable commute.The group checked out one of the world’s most successful bike exchanges in Montreal and believe such an idea would be successful here. Finding a funding source to cover start-up costs and who would run it are still being determined. However, Spiro and his fellow business students are still hopeful they will be able to get the program off the ground this year.Source: David Spiro, student at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke