Pedaling for change
Student helps guide UO Bike Loan Program to success
Pointing out what’s wrong with the world is easy. Finding solutions—now that really means something, says University of Oregon junior Briana Orr.
The environmental studies major from Boise, Idaho, is committed to curing the ills she learns about in the classroom.
“With such an emphasis on sustainability, this campus is the perfect place for me to blend the classroom with life,” says Orr.
She’s done so by playing an integral role in the UO’s Bike Loan Program, which converts abandoned bicycles into long-term loaners for students. The program allows students to borrow refurbished bikes for a term or an entire school year, while also taking part in workshops on maintenance and riding skills.
The UO’s Outdoor Program received an $18,000 grant from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon and another $5,000 from Clif Bar to fund the program. There are only a few like it in the state. So far, the program has rented out thirty bikes, and workers are restoring a hundred or so more.
“The UO and Eugene are ideal for biking, with bike lanes and lots of bike parking,” says Orr. “The goal is for the students to eventually buy bikes of their own and ride them the rest of their lives.”
Transforming the way students get around will ultimately help solve some of the world’s biggest problems, says Orr.
“Even if it’s just here, on campus,” she says, “it’s enough to know we’re doing something. But we can always do more.”
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