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Noteworthy at Illinois: Bike at Illinois mention
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Welcome to a new year at Illinois

We've opened our semester with all the energy and excitement a new academic year deserves. By watching this short video, you'll see we are already meeting plenty of new faces.
I am so grateful to have you as part of our Illinois family. Because, as we all know, the best parts of any new journey are the people who share it with you.
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor


Meet the Illinois family

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomed a record-breaking class of students for the 2023-24 academic year. Representing excellence at scale, the total student enrollment is 56,403.
By the numbers:
- 8,325 new freshmen
- 74% in-state students, the largest number since 2006
- 22% from underrepresented groups
- 24% first-generation college students
- 6,304 new graduate students, one of the largest group of new graduate students in history
- 32% increase in new certificate students

Explore our university

Discovering our campus: A new academic year means new opportunities to explore.
Experiencing game day: Illinois returns to Memorial Stadium for its Big Ten opener against Penn State on Saturday.
Visiting the Illini Union: A new exhibition at the Illini Union Art Gallery is featuring photographs of artwork from the Mexican Muralism movement.
Watching live performance: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts showcases national and international artists as well as university student performances in music, theater, dance and more.
Exploring Krannert Art Museum: The university is home to the second-largest general fine art museum in the state.
Biking at Illinois: Illinois is a leader in sustainability and active transportation. Celebrate C-U Bike Month during September.

Get ready for Illinois Homecoming

It's one of the best weeks of the year. Whether you’ve lived here for years or are returning for the first time, Illinois Homecoming is the perfect time to explore our university community.
Mark your calendars for Oct. 15-21, with more details coming soon.

Discover Illinois innovation

Inspiring discovery: In 30 seconds, watch how Illinois is a world-class leader in research, teaching and public engagement.
Seeing humanities in action: Undergraduate humanities scholars are pursuing community engagement opportunities within the Champaign-Urbana community.
Bringing cells to life: Researchers, policymakers and Minecraft players can look forward to the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology’s newest research center.
Leading autonomous construction: The university will be the site of a new research center focused on the most pressing questions related to autonomous construction technologies.
Propelling ag education: Illinois will collaborate with six community college agricultural technology programs to design and conduct a course and internship program for students.

Stay connected with Illinois

Missing campus: Watch live from the Main Quad or at the Alma Mater statue.
Following news at Illinois: Stay up-to-date on the latest Illinois news.
Applying to Illinois: Know an aspiring Illini? Applications for admission are now open.
Bike at Illinois Newsletter: September 2023
Associated Project(s):Bike at Illinois Newsletter: September 2023 Thank you for registering your bicycle! There are a few bicycle related events coming up in the Champaign-Urbana area, and we would like to invite you to participate in them!
We, also, want to remind you to collect your bike registration sticker (shield) and attach it to your bicycle, if you have not done so already. There are, currently, eight campus and community Shield pick up locations. You will be required to show the Bike Registration Fee payment confirmation email and identification to collect a shield.
Winners of Bike Registration Raffle will be contacted soon as well!
Upcoming events

Bike to Work Day
Ride your bike to campus on Thursday, September 14, and get a free T-shirt! Welcome stations featuring drinks and snacks will be available from 7 to 10 a.m., at eight university locations. Participants will also be able to interact with other bicyclists and city planners about potential enhancements to the bicycle network and future programming. First-time riders are encouraged to take part and learn more about the C-U bike community.
You must preregister at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/BiketoWorkDay and bring your bicycle to get this year's shirt (shown). The event will move to September 15, should inclement weather arise.
Light the Night – Free Bike Light Giveaway
The 16th annual Light the Night is Tuesday, September 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Alma Mater Plaza, Hallene Gateway, and the Ikenberry Commons Quad. You MUST bring your bike to get a light set. Approximately 1,100 bike light sets will be available. In case of severe weather, the event will be rescheduled for September 21.
Remember, bike lights are required by Illinois law when riding at night. Volunteers are still needed for the event.
Reclaiming an Abandoned Bike
F&S removed almost 230 abandoned bicycles on campus this summer. If you left your bike and want to reclaim it, email bike@illinois.edu and include where it was located, the make/model, color, and serial number, if possible. Bike registration information or other documentation will be needed to prove ownership (e.g., pictures). More information is available at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/ReclaimBike. If the bicycle wasn't registered, that step must be completed before retrieving the bike. The deadline to reclaim your bicycle is Friday, September 22, 2023. Any unclaimed bikes will be donated to the Campus Bike Center and the Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign to help support bicycle programs and initiatives.
Bike Safety: Always lock your bicycle
For nearly 60 percent of the bike thefts reported in the past year, the stolen bicycle was not locked. Always lock your bicycle to a bike rack to keep it safe. Watch this video on how to properly lock your bicycle. Watch other educational videos created by Bike at Illinois.
Thank you so much for all your support, and learn more about the Bike at Illinois program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Contact us at bike@illinois.edu for any questions.
Digital signage for Bike to Work Day and Light the Night posted
Associated Project(s):Digital signage for Bike to Work Day and Light the Night have been posted to the campus Digital signs. See attached
F&S Announcement - Celebrate C-U Bike Month
Associated Project(s):Join the Others in the Community at Bike to Work and Light the Night Events
Bike at Illinois strives to offer resources, education, and engagement for a safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable biking experience on the Urbana campus. As the university celebrates C-U Bike Month, please join students, faculty, and staff in upcoming events and learn more about bicycle registration, safety tips, rules of the road, bike infrastructure, and how to participate in sustainability initiatives.
Bike to Work Day
Ride your bike to campus on Thursday, September 14, and get a free T-shirt! Welcome stations featuring drinks and snacks will be available from 7 to 10 a.m., at eight university locations. You must preregister at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/BiketoWorkDay and bring your bicycle to get the shirt.Volunteers can also help provide more information about the benefits of registering your bike with 529 Garage’s national database (https://go.illinois.edu/RegisterYourBike). Once registered, owners will get a 529 Shield (registration decal) to help as a theft deter
Light the Night – Free Bike Light Giveaway
The 16th annual LTN is Tuesday, September 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Alma Mater Plaza, Hallene Gateway, and the Campus Bike Center (51 E. Gregory Drive). You MUST bring your bike to get a light set. Approximately 1,100 bike light sets will be available this year.
Remember, bike lights are required by Illinois law when riding at night. Volunteers are still needed for the event.
Purchase order created
Associated Project(s):Purchase order created for Learn How to Ride class on campus. It will be taught by Cynthia Hoyle (PO #P2549793) and Lily Wilcock (PO #P2549790). The total cost will $600 for 6 students maximum.
Veo Total Rides for the month of July 2023
Associated Project(s):Attached is a detailed metrics report for total Veo rides taken on campus for the month of July 2023.
Veo Total Rides for the month of June 2023
Associated Project(s):Attached is a detailed metrics report for total Veo rides taken on campus for the month of June 2023.
Veo Total Rides for the month of May 2023
Associated Project(s):Attached is a detailed metrics report for total Veo rides taken on campus for the month of May 2023.
Veo Total Rides for the month of April 2023
Associated Project(s):Attached is a detailed metrics report for total Veo rides taken on campus for the month of April 2023.
Veo Total Rides for the month of March 2023
Associated Project(s):Attached is a detailed metrics report for total Veo rides taken on campus for the month of March 2023.
Check in meeting from September 6, 2023
Associated Project(s):Please see attached the agenda and documents shared during this meeting. Watch the meeting recording here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QZsmvj8CXrpSFk7BlJpjw4Pvm64c0u4V/view?u...
Attached Files:
Bike Month Planning Team Meeting Agenda 2023-09-06b.pdf
Champaign County Bikes September 2023 Events.pdf
Bike to Work Day Press Release 2023-09-05 v1.docx
Bike to Work Day 2023 Station Manager Reminders.docx
Bike Station Volunteer Instructions 2023-08-31.doc
Bike Station Talking Points 2023-08-31.doc
Learn to Ride Class Rescheduled for Oct. 7th
Associated Project(s):Learn How to Ride class was rescheduled for October 7th from 10 am - 12:30 pm at the basketball courts by Campus Bike Center
Monthly meeting with Morgan and Stacey
Associated Project(s):I met with Morgan and Stacey on 8/30/2023 to discuss the progress of the 2024 Campus Bike Master Plan. The major discussion was about Chapter 3: Goals and Objectives, and I will be re-organizing the goals and objectives under three key goals:
- Infrastructure
- Programming
- Resources
We also discussed the soft publish date to be 5/1/2024 and a hard deadline of 6/30/2024.
Attached Files:Meeting notes with Ethan Garcia - Capstone project
Associated Project(s):Prepare outline for bike audit
- how to do it
- What will we need
- What information do I need
- What information are we trying to get out of this
- How are we trying to do this
- What resources will we need (GIS)
- When are we doing the audit
- When do we think we can finish it (number of hours, dates not necessary)
- Condition assessments of bike rack
- Looking at rack itself and concrete
Re-familiarize self with stuff
Black racks are ground mounted, we want bike racks on rails (gray ones)
Only university owned bike racks and paths
Meeting with BirdBike
Associated Project(s):On 08/29/2023, Stacey, Sarthak and Hrushikesh along with city planners of Urbana and Champaign had an introductory in-person meeting with BirdBike. The agenda of this meeting was to get a demo of the BirdBike bicycles and have discussion on potentially introducing these bikes on-campus and the in both cities.
Meeting Notes:
1) Membership opportunity
2) BirdBike facilitating no bike zone in certain areas of campus .
3) Demo of the Bikes and its parking system.
4) Safety features and precautions.
5) Using GPS and VPS system for tracking and parking.
6) Helmet Safety feature.
7) Rider Quiz before every ride.
8) Wayfinding for campus bike rack parking locations
Attached Files:Weekly Update: very busy week
Associated Project(s):All, Another doozy of a week. Long wait times for stands, cash offers to “hold” bikes, and my favorite: “When will you get a new shipment of bikes?”
This week promises to be a little better with more staff on board, and presumably fewer folks coming for their registration sticker. We’ll also have our first Friday Ride of the semester. Weather looks good for it!
Tonight is the Bike Project Members’ Meeting. I’ll mention it to all the new members we sign-up today.
The numbers:
Visitors: 142
Sales: $2,631.38
Bikes (refurb): 5 for $855
Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $100
Memberships: 28 for $840Tires/tubes: 37 for $263
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center CoordinatorFamily and Graduate Housing outreach event at Orchard Downs Community Center
Associated Project(s):On 08/26/2023, Sarthak and Hrushikesh were part of a tabling event held in the community center of Family and Graduate Housing at Orchard Downs. Our goal in the event was to spread awareness about the use of bicycles and to give out all the information about bicycles along with free goodies like wrist bands, Keychain, Bike route maps, Bicycle safety rules, and Bike Registration procedure.
Attached Files:Check in meeting from August 23, 2023
Associated Project(s):Please see attached the agenda and documents shared during this meeting. Watch the meeting recording here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gJBM9J-Tc1nGEg5lCEa4uxfQ8NgzOUea/view?u...
Weekly Update: Students are back, Illini Frenzy
Associated Project(s):All, The semester has officially started! People are knocking on the doors at all hours, we’re almost out of sale bikes, the 529 registrations are a near constant, and there’s a wait for stand time by 3p every day. Demand is never higher than this time of year.
On Saturday, we had the Illini Frenzy, and our spin-a-prize bike wheel was a huge hit. Something Pavlovian about the act of spinning a wheel. Even when we were out of all our freebies, people spun it anyways, and a line formed almost immediately. I’ll need to work out a couple of things with it, but I think it’s a keeper for outreach events and the like.
On Friday, Daniel and Rick—two experienced volunteers—came by to lend a hand—and boy did we need it! Many thanks to them. Also, thanks to Todd for grabbing scrap over the weekend.
This week I’ll try to throw some bikes together during our off hours, send out some offer letters for new hires, and do some trainings for our new/returning staff.
The numbers:
Visitors: 156
Sales: $3,127.75
Bikes (refurb): 13 for $1,840Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
Memberships: 21 for $630
Tires/tubes: 10 for $84Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center Coordinator
