Applications are now being accepted for a new Bicycle Ambassador program at the University of Illinois.  Bicycle Ambassadors are bicycling enthusiasts who will promote bicycling for transportation, raise awareness about the rights and responsbilities of cyclists, and foster a postitive bicycle culture on our campus.  Interested students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to sign up to become a Bicycle Ambassador today! 

Learn more on the Bike Ambassador project page: https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/bicycle-ambassador-program

Champaign County Bikes, with support from the University of Illinois, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana, and many local area organizations and businesses, has released the 2014 Champaign-Urbana-Savoy Area Bicycle Guide and Map.  

The Office of the Dean of Students sponsored the printing of 12,000 copies of the map for Campus, which are being distributed to units in August. University staff and student interns worked with CCB to help edit and design the Guide and Map.

The annual Light the Night event will take place onThursday, September 12, 2013, from 4pm-7pm or while supplies last.  As in past years, the 2013 event will take place at the corners of Lincoln Ave. & Illinois St. as well as Green St. & Wright St. The Campus Area Transportation Study (CATS) education working group voted in June to approve the 2013 date for the event, and also selected a new bike light to be distributed this year. The event is jointly funded by the CATS member agencies (University of Illinois, Cities of Urbana and Champaign, and CU-MTD). 

The Campus Bicycle Shop seeks to hire 2 part-time student employees to assist the Shop Manager. The position would involve duties such as helping members/users of the space with their needs, repairing bicycles, assisting in organizing events, shop organization, teaching bicycle repair, assisting with bicycle-related classes, and other duties as assigned.

The Campus Bicycle Shop – a collaboration between the University of Illinois and The Bicycle Project of Urbana-Champaign – is dedicated to empowering individuals with knowledge about how to repair and maintain bicycles. This is a hands on, educational space meant to provide knowledge and experience about fixing bicycles, not a "drop it off for repair" bike shop. The Campus Shop provides tools, parts, refurbished bikes for sale, educational classes, and dedicated volunteers to help members and the larger community with their bicycle needs. Membership in The Bike Project at Urbana-Champaign is valid at both the Campus Shop and the Downtown Urbana Shop.

Requirements:  An interest in or passion for bicycling and sustainable transportation is required.  Illinois is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity. (www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu).

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references via email to: jmroedl@illinois.edu. Please include "Student Assistant Position" in the subject line. Please include a copy of weekly class schedule and any other time commitments.

Skills: Previous bicycle repair experience, membership in The Bike Project of Urbana Champaign, and familiarity with the Campus Shop would be preferred but are not required. Familiarity with social media, college campuses, and educational work would be helpful. Preference will also be given to applicants eligible for Federal Work Study.

Stacey DeLorenzo, Amelia Neptune, Morgan Johnston, and Noel Grove met to review the bike parking estimates for this project.  There are a few locations where the pavement is in terrible condition, so we discussed options for handling those locations.  The racks could be installed on rails, or the pavement could be replaced.  There were also a few locations where there are conflicting major projects occuring in the near future.  Stacey will talk to the project managers for those sites to work through the solutions for the bike parking installation.

Additionally, this project includes the installation of one bike fix-it station at Allen Hall.  Amelia began this work and Stacey will take it over now.  Stacey and Amelia will meet with Sean Sullivan in the SSC to provide him with an update.  Noel Grove will provide cost break downs with the pavement work separate from the bike rack installation work.  He will also contact the Iron Workers to discuss options for racks on rails built in-house.

Jack Dempsey, Pete Varney, Michelle Winters, Pam Voitik, and Morgan Johnston met to discuss options for supporting EV charging stations for public use on campus.  It is unethical to allow UI resources to be used for personal needs, so the UI power cannot be freely distributed to Electric Vehicle owners.  A public charging station will need to include a payment mechanism.  Michelle Winters and Morgan Johnston will work on a plan for implementing public EV charging stations on campus.