Define the campus environmental problem that you are attempting to solve:

Commuter Services actively promotes non-automobile trips to campus in efforts to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuels-based transportation;
• Minimize the negative impacts of congestion in and around the University District; and,
• Create safe and convenient transportation options for all members of the UW community.

As a result, just 21% percent of all commute trips to the UW Seattle campus are drive-alone. These trips, however, account for a significant share of the University’s commute-related and total greenhouse gas emissions. In order to meet the Climate Action Plan’s aggressive goal of an additional 30% reduction in commute-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, further reductions in drive-alone trips will be necessary.

Describe your proposed solution to this problem:

A major component of Commuter Services’ strategy to reduce drive-alone commute trips is encouraging trips by bicycle. In addition to providing incentives and end-of-trip facilities like bike racks, lockers, and showers, Commuter Services seeks to encourage bicycling by reducing uncertainty – what happens if I get a flat? Where do I go if something comes loose? – associated with riding to and around campus. Commuter Services intends to accomplish this by providing DIY bicycle maintenance and repair stands at convenient and strategic locations throughout campus, such as at dorms, high bicycle traffic locations, and heavily-utilized bicycle parking areas.

In addition to meeting the needs of the UW bicycle community, Commuter Services also intends for these repair stations – which will be UW “bike program” branded – to be visible indicators of the University’s commitment to encouraging bicycling and environmentally-friendly transportation.

What form and amount of student leadership will your project involve?

Commuter Services plans to use CSF funding to hire a student intern to assist in all phases of the project’s implementation. This would include working to identify potential installation locations for the Fix-It stands, collaborating with University building coordinators, and preparing materials for review committees prior to installation. The student would also be responsible for creating an online Bike Repair Stand Google Map consistent with other Commuter Services online maps. The student intern would gain firsthand experience working on a small-scale infrastructure project start-to-finish, and would be playing a significant role in making the UW more bicycle-friendly.

What type and amount of outreach and education will your project involve?

This project contains several outreach and education components. The student intern would be responsible for creating an online Bike Repair Stand Google Map to serve as a point of reference for the UW community. Commuter Services could also use one of the Fix-It stands, modified to make it portable, during events and at quarterly bike maintenance classes. Finally, Commuter Services is open to the possibility of partnering with the ASUW Bike Shop on maintenance education programs that utilize the Fix-It stands.

What amount of funds do you anticipate your project will require from the CSF?

The funding for this project will be directed at two different areas: hiring and maintaining a student intern, and purchasing up to ten Fix-It stands.

These program costs are roughly estimated to breakdown as follows:

• Student Intern (at $10/hr wages - adjusted to $11.39 for cost to Commuter Services):
• 80 hrs * $11.39 = $911.20
• Fix-It Stations: 10 units * $900 = $9,000
• Shipping: $500
• Installation: $2,000

TOTAL: $12,411.20