The top transportation of choice for many Ducks is a two-wheeler. According to the most recent Campus Planning Commuter Survey, an estimated 10,000 UO students, faculty and staff get to school and work by bike.

A new DuckFunder project hopes to make bike commuting even easier and safer. The UO Bike Program is tapping the campus crowdfunding platform to raise $1,000 for a campuswide bike safety program called #BikeSmartUO. The goal is to introduce new students to campus bike services, teach them the rules of the road and train them to ride safely.

“Many UO students arrive on campus and have never learned how to bike smart and safe,” said Kelsey Moore, UO Bike Program coordinator. “We want to educate UO students about the benefits of biking safely, following the rules of the road, using hand signals, registering their bike, locking with a u-lock, using lights at night and wearing a helmet."

The money will help pay for staffed group rides and online and printed materials. While the $1,000 goal may sound like small potatoes in the fundraising world, it has the potential to have a huge impact on the campus community.
 
“There are bikes parked all over campus, even in the winter, and our bike ridership numbers are impressive and inspiring,” Moore said. “So it is really exciting to have this opportunity to raise money to reach out to incoming student bicyclists and educate them on smart and safe biking.”

Last year more than 2,000 students, faculty and staff participated in one of the program’s clinics or events, rented a bike, took advantage of the do-it-yourself bike shop or accessed one of eight 24-hour outdoor bike fix-it stations.

The campaign runs August 11-31. For more about the campaign or to make a donation, visit https://duckfunder.uoregon.edu/project/2621.