Rebel Pedals: A Smart Alternative Transportation

A civic journalism project led by Dr. Kristen Swain’s 574 class, rightly named "Green Innovators," gave students a chance to explore efficiency on campus, including alternative means of transportation. Students held a focus group to discuss ways to improve dorm efficiency, recycling and the Rebel Pedals bike-share program that began last fall.

The bike-share program started as a part of the Ole Miss "Red, Blue and Green" campaign, an effort from the University to encourage students and faculty to make changes in their lifestyle that better the environment. The program just implemented it’s first phase, which allows students to rent bikes from the Turner Center over-night, at no cost. According to Jason Thomas, this is a step in the right direction. " You should keep it for as long as you need it," he said.

Thanks to the Rebel Pedals program, along with a newly expanded bus system, bike lanes, and sidewalks, getting around in Oxford has never been easier. Focus group participants all agreed, if more students were aware of these programs, of their simplicity and reliability, they would take advantage of the alternative transportation. "Many people don’t even know the OUT bus system is free for students," said Matthew Archer.

Rebel Pedals is run by Ole Miss Outdoors, and currently has more than 40 bikes available for rent, many of which came from a $25,000 grant from Wal-Mart.

Shannon Baker Richardson, assistant director of Campus Recreation, said the bike-share program is designed to allow students the opportunity to see the freedom the bike allows them on campus and to launch a "bike culture."

Focus group participants thought the program could also help alleviate the parking problems on campus. " I bike to class and I never have to worry about leaving an hour ahead of time just to make it to my 9:00," said senior public policy major Elliot Warren.

Plans for the future of the Rebel Pedals Program involve working to expand the program to involve more checkout locations, like the Union and dorms. Other suggestions from the focus group included implementing a third-generation bike system that would be similar to "red box" where students could swipe their student I.D.’s to rent a bike at anytime. With a system such as Georgia Tech’s ViaCycle program, bikes will be available 24 hours a day, have GPS tracking and will be weatherproof.