Representatives from LimeBike, a bicycle-sharing company, held the official unveiling event in front of the CSUN bookstore Thursday afternoon.
Students and faculty gathered outside the bookstore as Tyler Hendershot, the Operations Manager of Los Angeles for LimeBike, announced its collaboration with the Sustainability Department at CSUN to provide students with a sustainable and convenient way to get around campus.
“Our mission at LimeBike is to solve that problem between the first-to-last mile transportation challenge,” Hendershot said. “It’s affordable. It’s sustainable. And it makes sense.”
Many see this as an overall positive impact to the campus. People commend LimeBike as a convenient means of going around or off campus.
“I think that it’s a great tool for students to not have to drive their cars,” Madison Moore, TV production major said. “As we know, the parking lots and the parking structures are really hard for students to find spots. I think that it’s gonna create more of a less stressful environment.”
Fourth-year Public Health and Asian American Studies major, Bhernard Tila finds the LimeBikes to be especially helpful when going around campus saying, “If you’re coming from Sierra Hall all the way to the USU or you’re just trying to get from one place to another really quick, the LimeBikes are a really good idea.”
Others applaud LimeBike’s presence beyond its convenience. Some see the service having safety benefits for the community.
According to the President of Associated Students Jonathan Goldenberg, more female students are starting to use the bicycles after their night classes, especially after 9:45 since they feel safer riding a bike at night rather than walking. Goldenberg adds that this service can improve public safety on campus in the long run.
Students aren’t the only ones interested in the introduction of LimeBike to CSUN. Faculty members hope that with the increased use in bicycle-sharing, the campus can improve in sustainability as well as benefit the environment.
Austin Eriksson, the Director of Energy and Sustainability at CSUN expressed his goal that through the school’s collaboration with LimeBike, it would have students who live within five miles of campus use their cars less.
“It’ll help reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as local congestion on campus and around the community,” said Eriksson.
Other adults view the bicycles as a healthy resource for staff, students, and other members of the community. Joy Bartley, an event planner for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, sees them as an opportunity to get some exercise and a way to relieve stress
“If I’m having a stressful day maybe I’ll take 15 minutes and go ride around, come back and be ready to tackle whatever issues may be confronting me that day,” Bartley said. Additionally she sees the bikes as a wholesome activity for her grandchildren, using the service to allow them to ride around campus on the weekend.
