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Housing and F&S submitted a request to the Student Sustainability Committee to support the next two years of the UI costs for the annual Dump and Run program, managed by the University YMCA.
Bryan Johnson and Morgan White spoke with the SSC Food and Waste working group this evening to answer questions about the Step One application.
All, We’ve slowed down enough to offer the First Visit Free option again, which has its plusses and minuses but is at least consistent with our website/literature on the topic.
Last week we had our Bike Maintenance 101 class. Three attendees came, despite the cold and rain, so that was awesome. I think all of them had issues with their own bikes that precipitated their interest in the class and two of them said they’d be back to fix their bikes. A success!
One bike was on the donation rack this morning. Another small bike but of good quality that’ll hopefully fix up quickly.
I got in touch with someone from the Fine and Applied Arts to see if there’s any interest in using some of our scrap metal to keep it out of the dump but that was a dead end. I’ll still try to think of ways to keep our scrap pile a little smaller since we’re frequently at-or-beyond capacity. I think overall, we don’t have enough venues through which to repurpose a bicycle beyond B-a-B and Shop Builds. Something to think about.
This week if we’re slow I’ll have the student staff do a deep dive on our used parts inventory to get a better picture of just how many bike parts we’re storing here. Additionally, we have our What to Wear info session at ARC on Thursday evening from 7 – 8p.
The numbers:
Visitors: 82
Sales: $677.75
Memberships: 14 for $420
Tire/tubes: 14 for $79
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
see attached file.
Sara Mason, Chantelle Hicks, and Morgan White discussed revisions to the Bee Campus USA web presence. For ease of maintenance, the iCAP Portal seems to be a more friendly process for providing updates and keeping the web content current and active. Sara could do the entries this year, and future students could do entries in the future years. The updates can also be shared on other websites, when requested. Sara will bring this idea back to the student committee, for a decision.
This meeting is open to anyone on campus interested in supporting local pollinators.
We are meeting tomorrow from 1:30-2:30 at F&S with both advisors and students from the Bee Campus USA committee. Chantelle sent the invite, but there are more people than can fit in the room she sent, so please join us in the Garage and Car Pool building conference room. This is in the building at the southwest corner of Oak and Kirby.
Our agenda is as follows:
There was a Dump & Run meeting on 10-08-2019.
The meeting agenda is attached below.
All, Much like the weather, we’ve been starting off cold and slow most days and heating up by the end. We’ve been weaving in and out of our FVF policy as I’ve felt bad turning people away when the shop is empty. But then, of course, in a blink of an eye we’re All Stands Full and members are waiting for stand time, which seems unfair.
We had Light The Night on Thursday and that was a success from what I saw of it. Two CBC staffers helped out with the event in my absence as the shop was too busy for me to be able to get away for the whole event.
We also had our Fix-a-Flat class on Friday. We had one participant. He was eager, engaged and said he’d be back for the next class, which was great.
This week we have our Bike Maintenance 101 class on Friday and I’ll be doing a training with a new hire.
The numbers:
Visitors: 80
Sales: $2,108
Bikes (refurb): 3 for $640
Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $400
Tires/tubes: 15 for $59
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
The University Housing submitted the attached Step 1 Funding Application for Dump and Run 2020 (SSC).
The students on the Bee Campus committee met to discuss their plans for this year.
All, Abbreviated week for me as I was out of town Thursday and Friday. I’ll check in with my staff this week and see how things went in my absence.
There are 6 bikes on the outside rack from this weekend but unfortunately one or two are locked up as if it’s a regular bike rack. Whoops!
This week will be busy as we have Light The Night on Thursday and our second Fix-a-Flat class on Friday. I’ll be talking up the F-a-F class incessantly this week in hopes of increasing participation numbers. For LTN I’ll be splitting my staff up between the shop and the event for the time that they overlap.
We have been oscillating back and forth between allowing for Free Visits and not depending on how busy we are and how well-staffed we are at that time. So that points to things getting a little calmer (thankfully). Addressing the burnout my staff and I feel during these very busy beginning months will be a task for the winter.
Moving all the kids bikes over to Salt & Light didn’t end up happening last week so I’ll shoot for getting those out this week. It’ll help with clearing everything out for our move. Exciting times!
The numbers:
Visitors: 96
Sales: $1,242.50
Memberships: 16 for $480
Bikes (refurb): 2 for $225
Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $57
Tires/tubes: 20 for $92
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
Visit the RORG's personal page to read the blog and stay up to date on the amazing efforts underway in our community, https://redoakraingarden.org/blog-2/.
All, Last week was busy, per usual this time of year. TBP and I met with Circle Cycle to discuss their Earn-a-Bike program using abandoned bikes on campus. I interviewed two applicants and will be hiring them. The light sets for the LTN event arrived on Wednesday and were expeditiously moved to the Urbana shop, saving some space over here. Two bike donations were on the rack when I pulled in this morning.
This week I’ll be taking the large pile of kids bikes over to Salt & Light to donate. I’ll also be meeting with F&S Sustainability and VeoRide to discuss bike share on campus. I’ll be out of town Thursday and Friday. I’ll arrange for the student staff to cover for me.
The numbers:
Visitors: 101
Sales: $1,463.00
Memberships: 19 for $570
Bikes (refurb): 2 for $400
Bikes (B-a-B): 2 or $120
Tires/tubes: 28 for $107
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
Construction of a new 54-acre, 12.1 megawatt (MWdc) Solar Farm is approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees as the sole member of Prairieland Energy, Inc. Referred to as “Solar Farm 2.0,” the new utility-scale array to be located north of Curtis Road, between First Street and U.S. Route 45, will produce approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, almost tripling the university’s existing on-site renewable energy generation. Solar Farm 2.0 will generate the equivalent electricity use of more than 2,000 average American homes.
Sol Systems, LLC, will design, build, operate, and maintain Solar Farm 2.0, for the duration of a 20-year contract which includes power purchase and land lease agreements, and an option to buy the system at the end of the term.
Morgan White and Joyce Mast discussed next steps for acheiving Net-Zero status for the ECE Building. Mike Marquissee is working on a draft MOU about using Solar Farm 2.0 Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Joyce is seeking student input about what should go on the ECE Building interactive display. If you are interested in working with her on this, contact her at jmast@illinois.edu.
All, Still busy! I went over to the warehouse last week and picked up some of the nicer, minimally-broken bikes over there. One only needed air in the tires and a few minor tweaks to be roadworthy. It’s already on the sales floor. Will hopefully have a few more of those to churn out this week. I also returned 3 Chambana Bikes to Neutral Cycle.
We’re still suspending the First Visit Free policy here. We’ve been less than at-capacity for the first hour or two every day which is a harder sell but haven’t had too much trouble. I frankly wouldn’t mind seeing the suspension extended well into the fall as it helps to weed out people who aren’t at all interested in doing the work in the first place. I often wonder how many people are in the shop to genuinely learn and how many are here because we’re cheaper than every bike shop in town… Just something to think about.
Got more complaints about the broken fix-it pumps. One guy on the phone seemed especially frustrated since he’d been to 3 – 4 pumps across campus. I sent him over to Neutral Cycle since he was in that neighborhood already.
I have a couple interviews for some new hires this week. I already got a couple questions about Light The Night, which was surprising and welcome. I guess after 10+ years people are beginning to expect it. I also spoke with a U of I alum who’s interested in starting some similar DIY/education programming over at a small school in Indiana where he teaches. I gave him my card and flyer for TBP in case he wants to pick our brains a little more on the subject.
The numbers:
Visitors: 102
Sales: $933.60
Memberships: 18 for $540
Tires/tubes: 20 for $116
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
Good afternoon!
It was wonderful meeting many of you at the iWG and SWATeam Kick Off event yesterday afternoon. Thank you so much for attending and for your participation. It will be a great year and your efforts are very much appreciated. Please find the slides and handout attached, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions.
As a reminder, Sarthak Prasad from the Transportation team mentioned that it would be helpful if you could take this short bike survey.
Thank you again for your hard work and dedication to making our campus a more sustainable place! I look forward to meeting with you in the near future.
Meredith
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Meredith Moore
Sustainability Programs Coordinator
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, Suite 338 (NSRC)
217-333-0119
[Power Point from Kickoff is attached, RC]
Julie Wurth with the News-Gazette, published an article updating the progress on the Solar Farm 2.0 project, which is expected to get Board of Trustees approvals later this month. Read the article at:
All, Last week was crazy busy. A couple of my staffers were sick or injured, leaving me well understaffed. We had a waiting list 2 – 3 deep every day. On Friday there were six or so people on the waiting list and I think most just abandoned the idea of being able to get any fixing time. Our model of first come, first served is a little problematic in that way—especially when stands are occupied with B-a-Bs that last the entirety of open hours. Down the line, separating open hours from B-a-Bs might be a good idea for the super crazy months.
This week I am heading over to the warehouse to look at this year’s crop of bikes. Parking said there are hardly any good ones but I’m fine with that. Fewer total bikes is a win in my book!
Thanks to Todd for grabbing scrap this weekend.
The numbers:
Visitors: 89
Sales: $1,282.20
Memberships: 25 for $750
Build-a-Bike: 2 for $65
Tire/tubes: 18 for $139
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center
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Geothermal well drilling is underway for the Campus Instructional Facility project. As of 8/28, nine of 40 wells have been completed in compliance with the project stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
