March 20, 2000 Campus bicyclists get an extra boost with new bike shuttles By Karin Wanless For members of the campus community who want to bike up to campus on these sunny days but find the hills a bit too daunting, help is on the way. Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS) is offering two different shuttle services with bike racks that will help bicycle commuters make it up the hill. Gravity will take the cyclists down the hill at the end of the day. Biking up the campus hills in the morning is now an option with the new bike shuttles. Photo: Karin Wanless With more than 11,000 students and 3,500 staff and faculty vying for 5,000 parking spaces, TAPS is finding ways to support transportation that will decrease parking and traffic demands. Bicycles are already a popular alternative, and the new shuttle services are among the programs that serve bicycle commuters. "TAPS is putting a lot of energy into supporting any alternative to a single occupancy vehicle," said Wes Scott, director of TAPS. "We're trying to find ways to get bikes up to campus." Bike shuttles At the beginning of April, TAPS will offer a bike shuttle that will pick up bikers at the parking lot of Marcelo's Restaurant at Mission and Bay Streets and drop them off at the Physical Plant bus stop, Cowell Circle, and Baskin Engineering (near the Mail Services loading dock). The shuttle, which can carry 14 bikes, will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at 30-minute intervals. TAPS may arrange 20- or 15-minute pick-up times as demand necessitates. To accommodate bikers, Marcelo's Restaurant, which previously opened at 11 a.m., will now open at 7 a.m. for coffee service and pastries. In another innovation to encourage bicycle commuting, TAPS is equipping ten campus Day Perimeter Shuttles with bicycle racks that carry two bikes each. This service is expected to start at the beginning of April. Bikers can load their bikes at the Physical Plant bus stop every ten minutes and can unload at the Baskin Engineering bus stop or the College Eight/Porter College bus stop. "With these new programs, we should be able to move close to 400 bikes a day with both programs working at full efficiency," said Scott. For more information call TAPS at (831) 459-3228. Bike parking Additional bike parking around the campus will be installed in the coming months. The funds came from a grant from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission. In April there will be new bike racks at the parking lot of Marcelo's Restaurant by the bus stop on Bay Street. This rack was funded by Federal Surface Transportation Funds for Congestion, Mitigation, and Air Quality. Electric Bikes For cyclists who want assistance getting around the hilly campus, electric bikes are now on sale at discounted prices at the Bay Tree Bookstore. The "on-demand" electric power offers a top speed of 15 mph and a range of about 20 miles. A midrange "comfort model," which comes with a tote bag and rack, is priced at $999 plus tax (the regular retail price is $1,145 plus $49 shipping). The special prices are available to the campus community through an arrangement with EV Global, a Lee Iacocca Enterprise, and Subaru of Santa Cruz. The comfort model comes with a suspension seat post and a gel saddle; saddle bags are optional. For more information about e-bikes, contact the Bay Tree Bookstore at (831) 459-4001 or visit the e-bike Web site. Zero interest bike loans Zero interest loans for bicycles and e-bikes are available to UCSC faculty and staff who meet certain criteria. Bike loan information and applications are available at the bookstore and by contacting Candice Ward in TAPS at (831) 459-5495. Free bicycle maintenance Those campus member who want to ride to campus but can't because their bikes' gears grind and wheels wobble can fix their bikes at the free drop-in bike maintenance program. The service at the Recreation Office porch located at the East Field House is available every Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. from March 31 to June 2. Capable mechanics are available to help fix and tune-up bikes. This program is sponsored by TAPS and OPERS. For more information, call OPERS at (831) 459-2806. Bicycle licensing Licensing a bike can increase the chance of recovering the bike if it is stolen. Bike licensing and renewals are available for $3 and are valid statewide. Licensing is available every Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. from March 31 to June 2 at the Recreation Office porch of the East Field House. Additional licensing opportunities can be arranged with TAPS by calling (831) 459-5495. All licensing fees go back to the TAPS bicycle program to provide bicycling enhancements to the campus. TAPS and OPERS are sponsoring this project. Bike commuter shower program Faculty and staff who commute by bike may register to participate in the Bike Commuter Shower Program. Participants gain free access to the shower facilities at both the East and West Field Houses and are provided with a short-term locker and towel. Faculty and staff can register with the TAPS Sales Office near the base of campus or call (831) 459-4543. More information For more information on campus biking programs, visit TAPS's Web page on bikes or call TAPS at (831) 459-5495. Return to Front Page