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  3. 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.

  4. 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!

  6. 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: 

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

  9. 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: 

  14. 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!

  16. Bicycle Reuse & Repair Programs Can Produce Environmental, Social, and Economic Benefits

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center
    Encourage Bicycle Use

    "Bicycle Reuse Programmes Report Threefold Return on Investment" by Helen Gates

    Bicycle repair and reuse programmes generate measurable economic, environmental and social returns, according to analysis by FCC Environment. 
     
    The company's white paper, Bikes: A Vehicle of Opportunity, combines operational data with external research to quantify the benefits of repair and redistribution programmes. FCC reports that across its current network, it has refurbished 2,424 bicycles through prison and community workshops, diverting 35 tonnes of waste and preventing an estimated 345 tonnes of CO₂e emissions. 
     
    New bicycle sales in the UK fell to around 1.45 million units in 2024, compared with 3.1–3.3 million during the 2020-2021 pandemic peak, according to industry data cited in the report. The Bicycle Association recorded a 7 per cent increase in workshop volumes and a 5 per cent rise in value in 2024, while many independent shops reported workshop revenue growth of 10–50 per cent. 
     
    The shift has created demand for trained mechanics, with 13-15 per cent of UK bike businesses citing staff shortages.

    Prison workshop programmes

    FCC currently operates bicycle repair workshops in nine prisons across seven local authority areas, involving around 100 prisoners. The company states that these schemes have generated £119,000 in recorded social value to date. 
     
    Research from the City & Guilds Foundation cited in the report suggests each prison skills qualification saves taxpayers an estimated £34,000 per year through reduced reoffending and related social costs. 
     
    The Wigan Cycle Project, run in partnership with Wigan Council and the charity Rebuild with Hope, has recorded a zero per cent reoffending rate among 24 participants since 2022, compared with a cited national average of 65 per cent. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, the project refurbished more than 300 bicycles and diverted 6.8 tonnes of materials from landfill. 
     
    Mark Harrison, Director of the Wigan Cycle Project, said the collaboration has "unlocked capacity to get bikes to people who really need them, while passing on new skills and prospects to prisoners preparing for release." 

    ReCycling benefits

    The report notes that the majority of a bicycle's lifetime carbon footprint is generated during manufacturing. Producing a new steel-frame bike emits around 96 kilograms of CO₂, while an aluminium equivalent exceeds 200 kilograms. Refurbishment preserves this embodied carbon, requiring a fraction of the energy needed to recycle raw materials. 
     
    Disposal data suggests significant volumes are available for reuse. The North London Waste Authority has estimated that more than 11,000 bicycles are discarded each year in the UK, while a Transport for London scoping study identified roughly 27,500 potentially discarded bikes in London alone. 
     
    External research cited in the report also highlights the economic benefits. Sustrans modelling shows that a national 40 per cent voucher scheme for low-income individuals would cost around £18 million annually but generate £60 million in benefits. Cycling UK's Big Bike Revival initiative recorded £4.30 in health and productivity returns for every £1 invested, while a Lancet study found that increasing active travel in England and Wales could save £17 billion in NHS costs over 20 years.

    Policy considerations

    The report suggests that right-to-repair legislation for household appliances demonstrates the potential for regulatory frameworks to support repair sectors. FCC argues that similar policy measures for bicycle repair could provide clarity and funding stability. 
     
    Gemma Green, Reuse Development Manager at FCC Environment, said: "Bicycle repair and reuse initiatives can address multiple challenges simultaneously – from waste prevention and skills shortages to public health and social inclusion." 
     
    The report states that bicycle reuse should be identified as a model that combines waste reduction, carbon savings and community reintegration opportunities through repair programmes

     

    A link to the full article can be found here.

  17. 12/9/25 Call Recap -- Veo Winterization

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bike Share with Veo

    From Aaron Madrid:

    Happy Holidays!
    I hope you're both doing well. The operations team has currently commenced the process of winterizing the fleet for the year. Over the coming weeks, you should see a continual reduction in the number of vehicles in the community as we pull things in for our winter refurbishment process. 

    With that said, I don't have much else to go over on our call today. I'm currently putting together a year end report that I am hoping to send along by the end of the week. I'd be happy to keep our call today if you all would like to touch base on anything specific. I'm also happy to cancel or just reschedule to Friday and we can use the time to review the data together if you like. 

    Open to whatever works best for your team.

  19. Weekly Update -- Bike Donations & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Slow week, as expected with the cold and messy weather. On Thursday, WCIA came by, and we got to talk about the Kids Bike Giveaway, so that was good. A post about the event also went out in the weekly newsletters. Hopefully all the press will help us get a few more donations. Fingers crossed!

    Elsewhere, we’ve got some adult bike donations to work through, as well as the last of the storage container organizing to do—one last container to go through, which we’ll tackle this week. Beyond that is space optimization/organizing, as always.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 20
    Sales: $192.25

    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tire/tubes: 6 for $46

     

    Thanks!

  20. Weekly Update -- Updated Hours & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Last week of November was slow, as best I can recall, and sales corroborate that. We’re working through the kids bikes we have and will hopefully get more donations in the coming weeks.

     

    We’ve got a half dozen regular bikes on the sales floor but with the wintry snowy weather we’re experiencing, I don’t see those moving quickly. Have another half dozen that need final approval.

     

    This week we begin our M/W/F hours, which we’ll keep til the end of the semester and into next semester, as the colder weather tanks our demand.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 48
    Sales: 492.50

    Memberships: 9 for $270

    Tires/tubes: 16 for $95

     

    Thanks!

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