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  2. Weekly Update -- Warmer Weather & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Warmer days are coming in fits and starts. Last week we confirmed for a sustainability event in April, and will continue prep for the spring happenings: busy shop and more folks riding!

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 47
    Sales: $447.75
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $65

    Memberships: 5 for $150

    Tires/tubes: 6 for $30

  3. Land and Water Team March Monthly Meeting Minutes and Notes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Sustainable Landscapes Plan
    Use of Non-Potable Water (such as Greywater)

    This month, the Land and Water iCAP Team met on Teams on March 4th, 2026, at 9:00 AM for the team's monthly meeting. This month, the team discussed a report comparing the sustainable practices of peer and model institutions in landscaping, sustainable land management, and sustainable water management. Additionally the team discussed a student project on the team focusing on testing the permeability of pavers and asphalt on campus, the status of legalizing gray water usage in Illinois plumbing code, the possibility of irrigation monitoring, the status of prairie strips plantings, the status of milkweed plantings on campus, green stormwater infrastructure on campus, and upcoming events in relation to the Land and Water Team. To learn more about the topics listed above, please see the attached document containing the agenda and minutes for the team. 

    Attached Files: 

  7. Veo Fleet Returns Week of 2/16

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bike Share with Veo

    Click this link to view the announcement online.

     
    More than 750 Veo e-bikes will return to Champaign-Urbana next week.
    		 
     
      Bike Share Program – Veo Fleet Returns Next Week  
     
     

    University bike sharing partner Veo is expected to return 750 Cosmo e-bikes (Class 2 Throttle-Assist) to campus beginning Monday, February 16. The company removes its entire local fleet for upkeep during the winter when ridership decreases. 

    All Veo bikes are active 24/7 and use geofencing technology to turn off throttling and enforce universal campus bicycle no-ride zones (map) on the Main Quad, Engineering Quad, South Quad, Ikenberry Commons, and other select areas, such as the north campus Oval Allee. Additionally, Veo e-bikes are prohibited on the trails at the University of Illinois Arboretum.

    Reporting an Improperly Parked Cosmo E-Bike

    If you see an improperly parked Cosmo e-bike on campus, especially a bicycle that should be immediately moved because it blocks a sidewalk, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp, facility entrance, curb cut, crosswalk, or driveway, please email Veo operations with a picture and exact location of the bike needing to be moved. All Veo bicycles are numbered, and that information should be included when reporting a specific concern. 

    Per the bike sharing agreement with the university and cities, Veo is responsible for addressing reported issues within three hours during peak periods. However, some conditions may necessitate a more rapid response. Individuals may also move a bicycle that has fallen over or is misplaced if they are able to do so.

  8. Weekly Update -- Build-a-Bike & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Pretty relaxed week overall. Approaching double digits on the number of For Sale bikes we have on the floor.  By end of week, we should be at a dozen or so. This is our prime building season, so we’ll take advantage as we can. Will also get some B-a-Bs prepped. Warmer weather this week usually correlates to more visits to the space, so we’ll see if that holds.

    A Bike Project member met me on Thursday at the abandoned bike storage facility and pulled some stock to help their space. We plan to continue with that to help shrink the scrap pile.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 24
    Sales: $520

    Bike (refurb): 1 for $180
    Bike (B-a-B): 1 for $60
    Memberships: 3 for $90

    Tires/tubes: 2 for $30

     

    Thanks!

  9. Illini Lights Out 1/30/25

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out

     At this ILO, students shut off 1535 light bulbs were shut off that otherwise would have been left on all weekend, saving $233.54 in energy costs. This also prevented 2.29 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 225 gallons of gasoline being consumed. That's a huge impact!  

  11. Land and Water Team February Monthly Meeting Minutes and Notes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Use of Non-Potable Water (such as Greywater)
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    This month, the Land and Water iCAP Team met on Teams on February 4th, 2026, at 9:00 AM for the team's monthly meeting. In the meeting, the team discussed future goals and potential projects for students to work on throughout the semester. Some of these goals/topics include sustainable landscape improvements, green infrastructure/indigenous plantings, monitoring and cleaning the C9 parking lot for permeability, monitoring the growth of milkweed plantings across campus, measuring water use for irrigation, and furthering the goal of future use of gray water. Additionally, upcoming team-related events were discussed. Attached to this update are the agenda and notes for the meeting. 

    Attached Files: 

  12. Weekly Update -- Bike Queue & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Happy Groundhog Day!

    Things have calmed a bit—thankfully! Warmer weather this week means I can get out and safety check the half dozen or so bikes that have been in the queue without risking frostbite.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 32

    Sales: 704.25
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $420
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $60
    Memberships: 3 for $90

     

    Thanks!

  13. Weekly Update -- Start of Semester Crowd & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Last week we opened for the semester and were positively inundated. Wednesday saw 40+ people come through, almost all with rusty bikes from leaving them out for winter break. Fingers crossed for some legitimate storage solutions down the line…

    Friday was less busy but still all stands full for most of the day. Successfully convinced someone to tackle a build-a-bike instead of sinking time and money into a Walmart bike. I’ll call that a win!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 60

    Sales: $471.96*
    Bikes: 2 for $420
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 2 for $12

    *Outstanding sales are still pending, as IT issues prevented us from accepting payment on Wednesday, Jan 21st.

     

    Thanks!

  14. Research on Illinois Graywater Laws and Contacts

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Use of Non-Potable Water (such as Greywater)

    A student on the Land and Water iCAP team, Lillian Gilbert, conducted research on Illinois state laws on graywater usage. Currently, in Illinois, the use of graywater is prohibited by the plumbing code, making it impossible to implement a system that saves and reuses water for non-potable uses such as toilet flushing and lawn irrigation. This research project was conducted to review Illinois and other states' laws on the use of graywater in plumbing systems to help us better understand how to implement a policy allowing graywater use in Illinois. Additionally, research was conducted on other institutions across Illinois involved in water conservation issues that could serve as potential partners in changing the Illinois plumbing code to allow the use of graywater. Attached are the products of the research project, including a contact list of other Illinois institutions involved with water conservation, a list of graywater regulations from other US states, and the final research project document detailing the project's findings. 

    Attached Files: 

  19. Weekly Update -- Donations & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    This is the last week we are open for the semester. We’ve got ~17 kids bikes done and will hopefully have a few more donated this week, so between both shops our numbers should be right around 50 bikes! Weather for Saturday looks acceptable, too!

    The shipping containers are fully organized/separated. All the bikes we would like saved are in shipping container 7. This week I’ll triple check that and check with the Bike Project if they’d like to save any additional bikes.

    The numbers:

    Visitors:
    Sales: $164.50
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $33

     

    Thanks!

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