The meeting covered updates on the Greener Campus (GC) initiative, including efforts to promote office certification and introduce decals for visibility. There was discussion on engaging Greek Life in sustainability efforts, with suggested contacts for outreach. The Sustainapalooza committee, represented by Kathrine Bruce and Liesl Schrag, provided an event overview and discussed promotional efforts such as digital signage, outreach to department heads, and MTD bus advertisements. Laurinda introduced a wildlife-centered gardening project under the Illinois Prairie Garden initiative, presenting engagement opportunities like prairie conservation and plant sales. Additional sustainability events were highlighted, including a short film event during Earth Week. Action items included Brigid coordinating scheduling and outreach, Quinn working on GC decals and office engagement, and all members providing feedback on marketing materials, brainstorming engagement strategies, and filling out a scheduling poll.

As expected, we were slow last week. We held an instructional course but did not get any attendees as it was cold and snowy—no surprise there! We will schedule more classes next semester.

We’re still low on kids’ bike donations and hovering around 50 or so. Have a meeting with IMC folks this week to discuss logistics.

As a late decision, the Bike Center will be the starting point for a community bike ride this coming Sunday, December 15th at 2p, which will hopefully get some folks aware of our space that may not have been otherwise.

The numbers:

Visitors: 25
Sales: $209
Memberships: 2 for $60
Tires/tubes: 5 for $39

We were closed all last week for the break.

We’re ramping up for our Kids Bike Giveaway event. We even got some coverage on WCIA: https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/annual-bike-giveaway-planned-for-dec-14-in-urbana/

As is, we’re a little low on donations compared to years’ past, so hopefully this’ll be a good bump.

This evening is a lecture/instructional class on bike repair, but with colder and snowier weather, attendance will likely be low.

The numbers:

Visitors: 35
Sales: $497.50
Memberships: 8 for $240
Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
Tires/tubes: 3 for $36

This past week, Sarthak and I met with the students on the Transportation Team to discuss their various research projects for the rest of this semester and the upcoming semester. We met with Pun Siripun on Nov. 11th, at 12pm; Charles Okoli on Nov. 14th, 12pn; Sebastian Vega on Nov. 15th, at 11am; and Mitchell Bryant on Nov. 15th at 1pm.

The goal is to have each student conduct research on 30 or so universities in regards to various elements of transportation infrastructure, then present a final report on findings and recommendations for Illinois. The hope is that the schools are widespread, spanning from similar Midwest contexts as us to east and west coast.

Pun will be examining EV Charging available at other schools and whether extending that in Urbana Champaign would be economically feasible and environmentally beneficial.

Charles is reviewing Micro mobility. The goal is to promote micro mobility as alternative modes of transit, but to avoid enforcement costs and the safety of all (pedestrians and users). How have other schools done that well?

Sebastian is studying the commuter program at Illinois and how other universities have implemented it successfully. How did they incentivize it? How did they fund it?

Mitchell is researching the storage of micro mobility devices and how they can be expanded on campus. 

Looking forward to hearing about their research and their suggestions for Illinois!

Below is an update from Brent Lewis on Oct 17th about the Monarchs need Milkweed recommendation:

FYI, I’m close to getting a $2.5k bag of milkweed seeds delivered to me.  😊  We are getting this in the portal and ordered so Grounds can get this spread out this fall. 

I’m hoping we can still get pots in the ground this fall too.  I see plenty of plants available at Midwest Groundcovers nursery in St. Charles, IL.  Deb is working on that.

Additionally updates from the Land & Water Clerk which were provided at the Campus Sustainability Celebration:

Milkweed Seeds for Monarch Butterflies

•Received a grant for planting milkweed across campus to support monarch butterfly populations which are important pollinators

•Seeds and plants will be planted around campus in late fall in low and no mow areas

•Working to clarify no mow and low mow  zones on campus to support the growth of native plants, also making it easier for the planting of milkweed

They finalized the date and times for our Kids Bike Giveaway event: 12/14/24 from 2 – 4p at Urbana IMC building, so they submit work orders for signage/posters/social media posts. Thus far, we’ve gotten zero donations of kids’ bikes, but between both shops we have ~15 to start working through. 

They'll also have their first instructional class on how to fix a flat tomorrow.

Visitors: 69

Sales: $1,153.50

Bikes (refurb): 2 for $395

Memberships: 20 for $600

Tires/tubes: 22 for $163

All, Manageable levels of busyness last week. I think our visit numbers have declined slightly, which makes sense for the time of year. Highlights of the week: Received a couple worthwhile direct donations. Fixed up a couple kids’ bikes. Had a student staff interview. Got a few B-a-Bs out the door. The law professor who’s into bikes has become a regular Friday volunteer.

The TBP Monthly Member meeting is tonight, which I will attend. This week is also the deadline for abandoned bike retrieval, so I will do a rough inventory of keep/scrap. We also may table at the Green Quad Day, if I have available staff since it overlaps with our open hours. Have a lot of loose wheels that are of questionable quality that we need to deal with, too.

The numbers:

Visitors: 82
Sales: 865.51
Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $160
Memberships: 8 for $240
Tires/tubes: 11 for $112

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

All, It’s Bike Week! Bike To Work Day and Light The Night are this week, so we’re prepping for that. Still busy here, too, during our open hours. We’re moving more build-a-bikes and have 3 bikes in the queue for the sales floor. After this week we’re on to the abandoned bikes from the last round up. Always fun around here!

The numbers:

Visitors: 122
Sales: $1,801.50
Bikes (refurb): 2 for $340
Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $210
Memberships: 25 for $750
Tires/tubes: 30 for $237

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
 

All, Busy as can be last week. We’re sold out of refurbished bikes and have only a handful of Build-a-Bikes available. We have 3 new hires in the pipeline, which’ll help. Meanwhile, this week is absolutely perfect riding weather—hope folks are getting out there!

Our newer B-a-B model of handling some of the harder repairs has really helped accessibility to the program. With 3 this week alone, that’s more than we sometimes get completed in 6 months. Lowering barriers of entry is always a good thing!

The numbers:

Visitors: 187
Sales: $2,027
Memberships:  27(!) for $810
Bikes (refurb): 2 for $345
Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $153
Tires/tubes: 34 for $256

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center