By Erica Quinones
Elm Staff Writer
The Bike Share program is experiencing some changes beginning in the Fall 2018 semester.
Bike Share is an Student Government Association program that allows students to borrow a school bicycle for excursions around campus and the Chestertown area. It is meant to be a convenient alternative mode of transportation for students traveling around campus or town.
While the program has been in place for some time, according to an email sent on Sept. 11, there are several changes this semester.
The first change is the location of the program’s home base. Bike Share now operates out of the Office of Student Engagement in Hodson, across from Java George.
To register for the program, students must fill out the flyer found on the WC website and turn it in to the OSE Office. They may then sign out a bike for hours or days. According to the website, however, bikes must be returned a week after they are checked out for maintenance and redistribution.
The Bike Share rack where students retrieve and return rides is now located outside of Hodson. When returning bikes, students should lock them in the rack and return keys to Student Engagement. Someone will be present to collect them from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Students who check out bikes are responsible for them. If either the bike or its lock set is damaged or lost, the student will be held financially responsible. Bike replacements have a set price of $250. The key and lock set costs $14 to replace. According to the Bike Share flyer, if any equipment is lost or damaged, the appropriate fines will be charged to the user’s account.
If there is an issue with a bike, the website instructs students to email Student Engagement and report it during check-in. The Bike Share flyer additionally says that any stolen or damaged property not reported will still result in fines to the user, and states that a bicycle not returned to the rack outside Hodson will be assumed missing and result in the full $250 fine.
The remaining terms and services may be found on the registration flyer located on the WC website. There is also a link to Maryland Bike Rules and Guidelines for safety.