70 colleges that offer free or low-cost bicycles

With my son considering colleges for next year, we were excited to learn that some colleges and universities provide free bicycles for use by students

The offers run the gamut from free bicycles doled out to incoming freshmen who agree to leave their cars at home, to “yellow bike” programs, to cheap bike rental systems.

The colleges make the bikes available to reduce traffic congestion on their campuses and in the towns where they make their home. It also lessens the need to build large parking lots as it cuts the institution's carbon footprint.

There's also the side benefit of a more fit and healthy student population.

Active

The New York Times ran an article — “Challenging car culture on campus” — earlier this week that mentioned eight college campuses that offer bicycle programs. Some of the colleges mentioned are successful; others found problems with theft, vandalism and poor maintenance.

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia — Provides 50 no-charge rentals around campus; also students can buy Fuji bikes at discount;

Mercer University, Macon, Georgia — Weeklong rentals of donated bicycles.

Ripon College, Ripon, Wisconsin — About 180 freshman signed up for free Trek bikes. Goal of the program was to reduce parking lots on campus, but side benefits of fitness, health and sustainability.

St. Xavier University, Chicago — Computer driven bike-share system; short trips are free.

University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY — Students can sign up for city bike-sharing program with drop-offs on campus; suspended by weather from November-April.

University of New England, Biddeford, Maine — Gave about 100 free bicycles to freshman who promised to leave their cars at home

Suspended

Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania — Suspended bike-sharing program after two years because bikes were left anywhere, and their condition deteriorated.

St. Mary's College, Westminster, Maryland — Suspended due to vandalism.

70 colleges

Here's a list of bicycle-sharing programs compiled by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The links go to websites or articles about the college or university bike program. Some of these may be out of date:

Arizona State University

Augsburg College

Berea College

Carlton College

Centre College

College of William and Mary

Colorado State University

Davidson College

Drexel University

Duke University

Eckerd College

Emory University

Goucher College

Hampshire College

Illinois State University

Juniata College

Keene State College

Louisiana State University

Luther College

Macalester College

Middlebury College

Northern Arizona University

Northland College

Ohio State University

Pomona College

Rhodes College

Saint Cloud State University

St. Olaf College

St. Xavier University

Stanford University

SUNY Cortland

Texas Christian University

University of Alaska at Anchorage

University of California, San Diego

University of Central Oklahoma

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Idaho

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Kentucky

University of Maine

University of Massachusetts – Lowell

University of Montana

University of New Hampshire

University of New Mexico

University of North Dakota

University of Oregon

University of Rhode Island

University of Rochester

University of Texas at Austin

University of Vermont

University of West Florida

Western Kentucky University

Westminster College

Bike rental

Here's a list of bike rental programs at colleges. Same caveats apply:

Bates College

California State University, Fresno

Louisiana State University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

McLennan Community College

Michigan State University

Oberlin College

Smith College

Stanford University

University of Buffalo

University of California, Davis

University of California, Berkeley

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Washington

University of Wyoming

Photos from last winter's visit to UC Davis

Thanks to Andy to alerting me to the New York Times article