Lessons learned in UWindsor's bike share pilot program
33 of the original 40 bikes were stolen in 2016
Despite having almost its entire fleet stolen in 2016, a bike share program at the University of Windsor is forging on.
In the first year after the bicycles were set up on campus, 33 of the 40 bikes — which cost $1,500 each — were stolen.
The two-year pilot project was a collaboration between the university's student alliance, administration and the alumni association, and was an attempt to link the west-end campus with the downtown.
The cost is split between the three partners.
The thefts were attributed to faulty GPS units on the original bikes, as well as the fact that the bikes were not visible enough, according to Sheldon Harrison, University of Windsor Student Alliance vice president of finance and operations.
"Windsor's a city where it's essentially very, very dead during the evening hours," he said. "So, very late at night, whether it's on our main campus or on our downtown campus, there's not much visibility."
Forty new bikes were purchased in 2017, bringing the current number in the fleet to 47.
Harrison said the bikes are used mainly by undergraduate students, especially international students, who may not have a driver's license.
"Going from the downtown core, to Walkerville, along the waterfront," he said. "It makes the city very, very accessible for those students."
He said they will be adding more bike stations to the program by May, all with updated GPS systems, and is hoping the next step in the program is to have year-round service.