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Bike Share

Logo Whitman College's Bike Share

Bike Licensing

Students are required to license their bike if within the Walla Walla city limits. The Whitman College Sustainability Department, Security, and Residence Life have collaborated to aid in this process. This action will make it easy to get in touch with students if their bike is stolen, at risk of being considered abandoned, and it will help our department keep track of the bikes on campus. Fill out this form to register your bicycle. All bikes will receive their license number, and the sticker is to be placed on the top tube of the bike so that it’s in an easily visible location. All bike information will be entered on a spreadsheet with the student’s email, license number, and defining characteristics. This way, if we need to, we can contact students directly and discreetly without bringing attention to their bike, which we hope will help decrease bike theft on campus.

The Whitman College Bike Share Program

The Whitman College Bike Share Program was established as a student-led pilot program in the spring of 2012 by the Campus Climate Coalition. This initial program allowed students to check out a bike to do errands, get some exercise, or take a leisurely ride in the wheat fields. In Fall of 2016 with the help of the ASWC, OELF, the Outdoor Program, and Campus Security the campus Bike Share transitioned to the Office of Sustainability. In order to transition the pilot program into a fully functional campus Bike Share the Outdoor Environmental Leadership Fund provided a grant in 2016 for the purchase of eight Captiva Cruiser Bicycles with baskets.

Currently, there are several Bike Share bikes available to check out for free. The program is coordinated through the Sustainability Department and bikes are maintained by the office’s Bike Share Mechanic. Students, faculty and staff can check out the bikes from the Facilities Services front desk. Helmets and lights are also available for checkout; we want people to be safe while they're having a blast. The Bike Share Program is currently in winter hiatus until the spring. Please email sustainability@whitman.edu for more information.

We are always eager for donations to keep the Bike Share program running! In other words, let’s keep Whitman cycling!

Borrow a Bike

Whitman College has various bicycles available to check out for free. Students, faculty and staff can check out the bikes from the Sustainability Department, located in the Facilities Services Building at 804 Penrose Ave. It works a lot like a book, except with gears! Helmets and lights are also available for checkout; we want people to be safe while they're having a blast. All you have to do to check out a bike is fill out and sign a Bike Share Contract at the FS front desk, which gives you instructions on how to successfully check out and return a bike! Bikes are limited and are first-come, first-served.

Bike Maintenance

We have recently implemented a Bike Share Toolkit as a shared resource for students who need to tune up their bike. This way, you can be responsible for your own mechanical work, on your own time, without having to invest any money. The toolkit is available to be loaned through the circulation desk on Reid’s main floor. As it is a shared resource, students are expected to return all tools to their rightful place and in working order. If they fail to abide by this and resources go missing during the time that they had the toolbox checked out, they will be charged. This toolbox is being supplied through the Sustainability Department, so the Outdoor Program is not responsible for the tools, and your BCOF fund will not cover the damages if any of the resources are broken or go missing during the time of your loan.

Bike Safety

Bike safety is our number one priority for students, staff, and faculty. 

  • Always Wear a Helmet
  • Look Both ways for Traffic
  • Obey Traffic Laws
  • Watch and Avoid Road Hazards
  • Avoid Riding at Night
  • Check both tires have air in them
  • Always lock your bike up

Bike locking

Graph of Bike Locking TipsBike thieves are unfortunately prevalent in Walla Walla, so investing in a high-quality lock and knowing how to properly lock your bike is key. You want to lock your bike according to value; frame, back wheel, front wheel. Crucially, you need to lock your bike to an immovable object. If not, it’s relatively easy for a thief to take your bike somewhere quiet to deal with the lock. Don’t lock your bike via only the frame. You’ll leave plenty of space inside the lock, making it vulnerable to attack, and a thief can steal your unsecured wheels. If you’re unsure of what kind of lock to buy, this article may give you some insight. Below is a helpful visual for how to properly lock your bike.

Bike Storage

Are you going abroad for the semester or need to leave your bike on campus for the summer? Fill out this Google form to safely store your bike on campus. Our goal is to keep your bike safe and secure while you are away. Your bike must be stored in a designated bike storage area with a tag while you are away.

What happens with abandoned bikes, parts, or locks?

When a Grounds or Sustainability staff member identifies a bike, part, or lock that qualifies as abandoned, they shall alert Security. If the abandoned bike, bike part, or lock qualifies as abandoned and is locked in a manner that does not pose safety concerns, it shall be entered into a tracking log by Security, and Security or the Office of Sustainability Bike Share Assistant shall email the owner registered to the bike, if the bike is licensed, to notify them that the bike, bike part, or will be removed in 14 days (except for winter and spring breaks, when removal will take place two weeks after the end of break). The owner shall have 14 days to reply and remove the bike or otherwise take care of it, so it no longer qualifies as abandoned. If the owner does not respond to the email that is sent nor removes or takes care of the bike within the specified timeframe, Facilities shall proceed with removing the bike.

Have you noticed a bike lying around campus for months? Tired of seeing it every time you walk out of Olin? Use this Google form to help report abandoned bikes and keep campus looking good! We strive to repurpose as many bikes and bike parts as we can.

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