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Projects Updates for theme: Transportation

  1. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 

    Pretty uneventful week on the whole. Highlight was an 11-year-old coming in with his mom to fix up his beat-up bike. At 11 he had great tool instincts and was excited about getting his hands dirty. Good times!

    Our “For Sale” bike numbers are steadily in the low double digits, but next month we’ll focus on building more, in hopes of staying ahead of the crush of returning students.

    This evening is the Bike Project member’s meeting, which I will attend.

    The numbers:

    Visitors:
    Sales: $970.75
    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $590
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Tires/tubes: 3 for $20

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
     

  2. Bicycle Ambassador & Bike Buddy Program Research Updates

    This morning, Emily sent out emails to 14 different organizations that have a bike ambassador, a bike buddy, or a similar program to learn more about bike ambassador and bike buddy programs. The email includes a description of the two goals relating to creating bike ambassador and bike buddy programs stated in the 2024 Campus Bicycle Plan. The email also included a 40 question questionnaire, which is linked as a pdf.

    These organizations include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the public works department in the county where Pennsylvania State University is located, Rutgers University New-Brunswick, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of California Irvine, University of Iowa, University of California Los Angeles, University of Edinburgh, University of Maryland, University of Oregon, the City of Madison, Wisconsin, Indiana University, and a local biking group in Portland, Oregon (BikeLoud PDX). While 25 universities were researched, not all universities have a bike ambassador program, a bike buddy program, or a similar program and so local organizations that have such programs in these areas were also contacted. Responses are requested from the 14 organizations by July 25th.

  3. Research In Progress for Bike Ambassador, Bike Buddy, and Commuter Programs

    Emily is working on researching Bicycle Ambassador, Bike Buddy, and Commuter Programs at Big 10 and other universities to eventually implement these programs at UIUC. While the Bicycle Ambassador program was last active around 2014, restarting this program is a priority under the Encouragement area of intervention in the 2024 Campus Bicycle Plan. Similarly, the Bike Buddy program, which would encourage more bicycle trips on campus, especially for newer and less experienced cyclists, is also a priority under the Encouragement area of intervention. Emily is also continuing research on the Commuter program, which is a part of the Evaluation & Planning area of intervention in the 2024 Campus Bicycle Plan.

  4. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 

    All,
    The heat is upon us! The high temps have kept us less busy than we might have otherwise been. Still had some folks in and had a Build-a-Bike completed—which is always especially rewarding. Our new door has been working swimmingly, as folks have been able to enter/exit without wrestling with the door and their bike at the same time.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 15
    Sales: $525.50
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $200
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
    Tires/tubes: 14 for $93

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  5. Dates set for C-U Bike Month 2025

    Associated Project(s): 

    In a meeting on 6/13/2025 dates for the C-U Bike to Work Day and Light the Night events were finalized. Attached is a flyer showing the event dates. Registration will open later this summer at cubikemonth.org.

    • Wednesday, September 10th, 7-10 am:  Bike to Work Day
    • Tuesday, September 16th, 4-7 pm:  Light the Night
    • Thursday, September 11th, 7-10 am:  Bike to Work Day rain date
    • Wednesday, September 17th, 4-7 pm:  Light the Night rain date

     

  6. Introductory meeting with Housing

    Following are the notes from our meeting with Housing about their potential Fleet Management Plan. The meeting took place on 6/13/2025 at 9 a.m.

    Attended by - Sarthak Prasad, Shawn Patterson, Matt Brown, Aaron Lewis, Jessica Hauserman

    • We did introduction
    • Jessica is the Office Manager
    • We are looking for a single point of contact
    • Not reinvent the wheel - not dictate
    • What are we trying to do?
    • 12 year replacement plan
    • What is the useful life of the vehicle
    • Fuel consumptions, idle time,
    • Conversations about what would be the correct path
    • Right-sizing the application
    • We need to purchase a vehicle - what type of vehicle can be purchased
    • Matt Brown -
      • They make some purchases of heavier duty trucks based on what the tasks are, the weight of those things
      • Some small transit vehicles
        • Ford transit
      • They are looking for a huge number of things
      • Availability, right sizing, - have some issues with that
      • They are retiring 20 year old vehicles or more
      • They are finally out of pre-2000s vehicles this FY
      • They are now updating
    • How we might interact with these goals= planned rotation vs force rotations
      • Deterioration of these vehicles
      • Shawn -
        • The prices have skyrocketed
        • Digging deep - if we have a process in place.
        • If this is the goal, we can do what we can
        • What is the most feasible thing. The university is not going give us so much money to buy whatever we want
        • Housing is the first department we are reaching out
        • Same or similar fleet as F&S
        • We can share our expertise
        • Build a group and plan as to what can be done to improve iCAP goals
    • Looking to identify a contact person
      • Start off with Matt Brown and then direct conversations to other departments
      • Various fleets (4)
        • Facilities and Maintenance
        • Building services
        • Student Affairs Technology for Housing
        • Dining - Dell
      • Jessica has helped with costs and ownership of vehicles
        • To maintain or to fuel
        • There is data
      • If the iCAP wants to put a number before we rotate
        • Put a high number, like 15 years.
        • Some vehicles are used less
        • Vehicle by vehicle basis
    • Aaron -
      • Has it ever been discussion - drive thru car was on campus to remove debris and gunk - to improve the life?
        • Shawn -
          • Frame - Rust or something
          • Parts are no longer available for that vehicles
          • Undercarriage -
            • $100k to get the equipment
        • Deterioration of the body
      • Rust and under carriage - vehicles deteriorate
    • Next Step
      • List and come up with an operation plan
      • For one of the fleet operation or all 4 fleet? Evolving plan
      • Create a Teams Channel
      • Give them a skeleton plan to give to Housing
        • They will fill in what they can do - Based on the F&S Green Fleet Plan
        • The objectives we came up with were through NAFA and based on F&S fleets
      • Maybe a follow up in the end of July 2025
    • Matt asked about Idle time sensor
      • GPS sensors that we operate with
      • Not every vehicle is the same
      • External GPS system
    • Idle Times are related to Fuel Consumption
    • Matt and his team will get a shot on the plan and get back to us
    • Housing fleet is at a certain level - swap one for one
      • Very occasional and sporadic that they add a vehicle
      • They can commit to not adding to the fleet
  7. Abandoned Bicycles: Tagging and Identifying

     

    Unwanted Bicycles Will Be Identified and Removed This Summer

     

     

     

    Don't Leave Them Out to Pasture (Or We'll Take Them) All unwanted bicycles parked on campus will be collected. Remove the orange sticker to avoid impound. Visit go.fs.illinois.edu/BicycleRoundup

     

     

    F&S and the Parking Department identify and collect unwanted bicycles left on campus at the beginning of the summer. 

    All bikes remaining on university property will be tagged this week with an orange sticker that reads, "Remove this tag by 6/30, or your bicycle will be removed." Any bicycle still displaying the sticker after that date will be impounded. 

    If you presently have a bike in a campus rack, shelter, or parking location, please remember to remove this sticker to ensure your bike is designated as active. Individuals who don't take this action and want to reclaim their bicycles later this year will be charged a $40 fee. All recovered bicycles must also be registered before being returned.  

    Donate Your Bike!

    Last year, almost 250 bicycles were retrieved during the annual roundup and stored as part of the Bike at Illinois reclaiming and donation process. Help reduce the roundup and preserve campus resources by donating your bike! 

    If you no longer need your bicycle, consider donating it to the Campus Bike Center (51 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign) or the Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign (202 S. Broadway Avenue, room 24). No appointment is required. Donations are tax-deductible, and bikes will be refurbished or recycled, with as many parts reused as possible. 

     

    Read the email online: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/68/1492591568.html

  8. Tagging for Abandoned Bicycles Complete

    This past week, Sarthak and interns Emily and Max have been working on tagging bicycles on campus for the abandoned bicycles project. Today, the tagging portion of the abandoned bicycles project was completed. Across all blocks of campus, 665 bicycles were tagged. After June 30th, bicycles that do not have their orange tags removed will be collected.

  9. Ventilation System Installed and Electrical Work In-Progress for the Shipping Containers

    Ventilation systems were installed in each of the seven shipping containers last week and electrical work is currently being done to add power to the shipping containers. There are also hooks installed to hang bikes on one side of the wall in each shipping container. 

  10. Work Order Created to Install 7 Metal Signs on the 7 Shipping Containers

    Work order #11257249 was created for for the Sign Shop to create and install seven (7) 18'x24' metal signs to be installed on each of the seven shipping containers for bicycle storage. These containers are located between the Abbott Chilling Plant and the Personnel Building. Attached is a png of the sign design for shipping container 1.

     

  11. Weekly Update: Training new staff, Donated bikes

    All, Been slow but good here, as we’re in a lull between spring semester and summer sessions. Slow times allow us to provide better service to the folks that do come through, so that’s a positive.

    Training up new staff and trying to keep on top of builds/donations as the spring and summer clean outs have netted us a good amount of bikes. But of course no matter how many bikes we have for sale, we’ll sell out come August. A good problem to have, I suppose.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 31
    Sales: $841
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $335
    Tires/tubes: 10 for $72

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

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