TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2015) – The University of South Florida rolled out its new bicycle sharing program with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Marshall Student Center Amphitheater celebrating the official launch of the long-awaited program for students, faculty and staff.
Featuring 100 bicycles, the Share-A-Bull Bikes program is a state of the art Social Bicycles, Inc. system purchased by USF and managed by Campus Recreation. Social Bicycles also partners with the city of Tampa on its Coast Bike Share program, which launched last year.
USF’s program is funded through the Student Green Energy Fund, a student fee funded program charged with reducing the carbon footprint on campus. As a result of the funding, students, faculty and staff can ride up to two hours per day at no cost, enjoying a healthy, emissions-free way to travel across campus. USF is consistently recognized as a national leader for its commitment to sustainability and the Share-A-Bull program aligns with that value.
Each bike is equipped with a GPS system which helps riders to easily locate available bikes through a smartphone app or through the website at www.usf.edu/shareabull. Riders enjoy the convenience of picking up and dropping off a bike at racks close to their campus location and ultimate destination.
Some of the bikes were put into service earlier this month, which has already led to about 1,000 participants riding more than 4,500 miles. With such a successful start, the program is positioned to be a model bike share for universities across the country, according to Social Bicycle.
