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  1. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, last week was comfortable—both weather-wise and with how busy the shop was. We saw some Build-a-Bikes walk out the door and of note, specifically, was Rafael’s. He’s from Brazil and speaks almost no English. Communication was limited to hand gestures and demonstrating how a bike part is supposed to move or operate. He finished his build on Friday and was so happy to have it done he wanted a photo with the staff.  Not all learning is language-based!

     

    First Visit Free is on a first-come first-serve basis now as we have slowed down enough to be able to accommodate small repairs some of the time.

     

    I spoke with Working Bikes last week. We have a tentative date of 10/16 set for the big shipment. I spent a good hour and a half at the warehouse organizing bikes on Friday. This week and next I’ll schedule more trips out there with Parking to sufficiently prepare for the event. Over 500 bikes will need their pedals removed and handlebars turned. 200 of those will also need their front wheels removed.

     

    Thanks to Todd for picking up scrap over the weekend.

    This week I’ll build bikes and do more warehouse prep.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 114
    Sales: $553.60

    Memberships: 12 for $360
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $60
    Tires/tubes: 18 for $98

     

    Thanks!

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager
  2. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

     

    Hello Pete and Shawn—

    Zero waste activity this past week consisted of some email with the BER student volunteers and the new VWR representative (Jill Ducker) regarding the glove recycling program. I have a phone call scheduled with Jill on Wednesday. In her email, Jill told me that VWR is working directly with some of the campus units on a system where they can ship their gloves for recycling via UPS instead of going through the campus program where people have been having to transport gloves in their personal vehicles. I hope to learn more on Wednesday and have invited Morgan to join if she is able.

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan

  3. PWR011 SmartWay Union recommendation - Successful

    Executive Director of Facilities & Services, Mohammed Atalla, responded over email to Ximing Cai (iSEE Associate Director for Campus Sustainability) in support of the recommendation:

    "Facilities & Services, in collaboration with Jamie Singson at the Illini Union, will proceed with investigating the recommendation to join the EPA’s SmartWay partnership program.  Morgan will be arranging a webinar/conference call with the representatives from EPA’s SmartWay program and the associated departments on campus per your recommendation.  Then each respective department will determine how to proceed, when the process is clear.  Morgan will provide updates via the iCAP Portal SmartWay project page: https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/smartway-transport-partnership."

     

    See the iWG Assessment of PWR011 SmartWay Union here.

    See SWATeam recommendation PWR011 SmartWay Union here.

  4. Water004 GSI Standards Parking Lots recommendation - Successful

    Executive Director of Facilities & Services, Mohammed Atalla, responded over email to Ximing Cai (iSEE Associate Director for Campus Sustainability) in support of the recommendation:

    "Facilities & Services will proceed with incorporating Green Stormwater Infrastructure in to the Facility Standards. Brent Lewis is the point person for this effort, and he will add GSI information to each of the relevant standards. This includes but is not limited to the sections on parking lots, transportation, sustainability, and stormwater.

    Thank you very much Morgan for your work to coordinate this activity with Jim and Brent."

     

    See the iWG Assessment of Water004 GSI Standards Parking Lots here.

    See SWATeam recommendation Water004 GSI Standards Parking Lots here.

  5. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, last week was steadily busy but with more minor repairs than B-a-Bs which kept things flowing nicely.

     

    New hire Hank started on Friday. Unfortunately, he’s tall so this shop won’t be friendly to him, height-wise. He’s been enthusiastic and willing to learn-as-you-go, which has been good.

    Last week I counted all the bikes in the warehouse. We’ve got approximately 504. Working Bikes is still interested but may be doing a full shipment from down here instead of carting the bikes back to Chicago. That will happen sometime next month, I believe. Details are still being ironed out.

    We also had Light The Night 2018! Barry did the counts but we didn’t sell out at Illinois/Lincoln and did at Alma.  

     

    This week I have a TBP meeting tonight and am teaching a Bike Maintenance 101 class tomorrow night from 7 – 8pm. Other than that, business as usual.

     

    Numbers:

    Visitors: 80
    Sales: $773.20
    Memberships: 14 for $420
    tire/tubes: 10 for $51

    Thanks!

     

    Jake Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  6. SSC Project Funding Proposal: COE - Campus Instructional Facility

    Below is a message sent to the Student Sustainability Committee regarding project funding for the CIF:

    Dear Student Sustainability Committee Members:

    On behalf of the College of Engineering, we would like to submit a project funding proposal for the Campus Instructional Facility.

    The project will be a five-story classroom building at the southeast corner of Wright Street and Springfield Avenue with an estimated area of 150,000 SF. It will serve as a hub for campus integrated learning, connecting with other education hubs such as the Siebel Center for Design.

    For your review and consideration, we propose a thermal energy project that focuses on advancing engineering systems and significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions from operational energy for this new Instructional facility. Please find attached a PDF of the proposal and supporting documents.

    Thank you for your time and consideration, and if you have questions, please contact us at any time.

    Best Regards,

    Qu

     

    Please see the attached file to read the official SSC Funding Application.

  7. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi Pete and Shawn,

    Zero-waste activities this past week were:

    • Following up with departments participating in the glove recycling program for their lab/room number and PI information. We’re gathering that information for our work with the Division of Research Safety (DRS) to ensure that we have good measures in place to prevent biohazards and dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream.
    • Updates to the glove recycling information on the iCAP portal to clean up location information. I also updated the project team information with the name of our new Kimberly-Clark contact (Sara Portillo).
    • Organizing contact, lab/room number, and PI information into spreadsheets for DRS and for the BER student volunteers who will help us identify teaching coordinators in the participating labs.

    I entered 3.3 hours to cover these activities.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  8. ECONS007 Energy Conservation Funding 2018 - Returned to SWATeam

    After the iWG meeting on September 17, 2018, Dr. Cai sent the following response to the SWATeam regarding ECONS007:

    Dear ECBS SWATeam,

    Thank you for your strong commitment to campus sustainability.  The iCAP Working Group met on Monday this week and discussed the ECONS007 Recommendation (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/econs007-energy-conservation-funding-2018-recommendation-submittal).

    We invited Josh Whitson and Kent Reifsteck to speak with us, and there was a good discussion about the benefits and usefulness of Energy Performance Contracting.  However, the iWG decided that there is not an actionable next step in this recommendation, as it currently stands.  We strongly support campus funding for energy conservation, so we are returning this recommendation to your team for further information.  For example, where do you recommend the suggested funding come from?  Also, are there specific projects identified for the funds in the first year? How will those projects coordinate with other efforts for dealing with deferred maintenance?   The iWG members are willing to discuss this issue with you and Kent’s team further, to strategize ideas. 

    Please let us know if you would like to arrange a meeting with your SWATeam and members of the iWG.

    Thank you,

    Ximing Cai

    See related iCAP Working Group meeting notes here.

    See SWATeam recommendation ECONS007 Energy Conservation Funding 2018 here.

  9. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, this past week was comfortably slow. Sold out of bikes.

     

    I reached out to Working Bikes about them coming down to pick up bikes but haven’t heard back yet. Will follow up this week.

     

    I’ll also be picking up bikes from UIPD and processing them. I got a report that the pump at Altgeld/Union is on the fritz. I’ll check that out this week and see if I can get it operational without ordering any new parts. Fingers crossed.

     

    Tuesday morning I’ll be meeting with someone from the Illini Gadget Garage. They do a very similar thing to the Bike Center, except with electronics/small appliances: teaching people how to repair them.  

     

    Thursday is LTN 2018. We’ve got a record number of lights to install this year!

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 116
    Sales: $1,086

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $180
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $97.50
    Memberships: 17 for $510
    Tires/tubes: 23 for $153

     

    Jake Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

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