The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
BIKE
From Page 1A
The collected fees will go toward
the estimated $1.55-million, three-
year pilot cost, according to the CEC.
There will be 14 stations - accom-
modating a total of 125 bikes - dur-
ing the pilot phase. The CEC and Ann
Arbor are jointly covering $750,000
in initial costs, while the University
will provide $600,000 toward the
$800,000 estimated operational costs.
Usage fees are expected to cover the
$200,000 difference.
Initially planned to launch fall 2013,
Dolen said the program should hope-
fully come to fruition in April. If the
electrical and siting requirements
are not worked out before the winter,
however, Dolen said the program's
start date could be pushed back to
summer 2014.
"There's all kinds of hurdles, and
that's probably why we're a little fur-
ther from implementation than we
originally wanted to be," he said.
CEC hired B-cycle, a bicycle shar-
ing company that has operations in
18 U.S. cities, to provide the stations,
bicycles and operating systems. The
14 stations will house six to 12 "blue
bikes" fashioned with a front basket,
automatic front and rear lights, chain
lock and internal RFID and GPS. The
GPS enables B-cycle to record data
on member and bike usage, including
location.
B-cycle's website allows users to
track distance, duration, calories
burned and carbon offset during
bike rides. It also has a section titled
"B-effect," which can calculate energy
and cost savings of bicycle usage in a
given community.
Aaron Champion, CEC project man-
ager and coordinator for the Detroit
area, said with Ann Arbor's size, all 14
locations would be located between a
quarter-mile and a half-mile of each
other.
"The literature has been pretty clear
in showing that, especially with bus
stops and transit stops, people aren't
really inclined to walk more than a
quarter-mile," Champion said.
Stations will primarily be located
downtown and on Central Campus -
with a single station on North Campus
- and will provide service to both stu-
dent and resident markets.
"That's the beautiful thing -
because the University of Michigan is
a truly urban campus, there is no dis-
tinction as far as the stations are con-
cerned," Champion said. "You're going
to get excellent coverage for both of
those markets."
The University of Colorado-Boul-
der, which has also partnered with
B-cycle, provided a blueprint for CEC
in decisions regarding Ann Arbor's
program, as the square mileage, popu-
lation and climate of the two cities are
roughly comparable.
According to a press release from
Boulder's B-cycle branch, the Boulder
bike share program began with 12 sta-
tions and 100 bikes back in 2011, and
will have an additional 20 stations by
the end of fall 2013. Boulder B-cycle
estimates that 50 stations, for a total of
500 bikes, would allow for a sustain-
able bike-share system.
But similarity does not guarantee
success, as the University learned
during its first bike-sharing attempt
in the '80s. Ann Arbor resident Bill
Loy, who has been the owner of the
long-standing Campus Student Bike
Shop for 50 years, remembers the
time clearly.
"They tried that once already," Loy
said. "It was called a 'Green Bike.'
They just trashed them."
"Green Bike" was a failed campus
initiative where a fleet of green bikes
was placed at various locations across
campus for student use, Loy said. But
without locks or maintenance, the
green bikes disappeared or rusted
away.
"There's too much on bikes - I've
been at it a long time - too much
maintenance," Loy said. "They need
service. I have 300 rentals, and I have
to service them all the time."
"It'll wreck my business," he added.
But 30 years later, the CEC's plan
is more elaborate, and students seem
supportive. LSA sophomore Lea Ono,
who can't transport her bike from her
home in New York sees the bike pro-
gram as a solution to an out-of-state
problem.
"I'm not the only one in this situa-
tion, a lot of out-of-state students feel
the same way, or international stu-
dents," Ono said. "I think I would use
it. I would want to bike for fall (and)
spring."
"My only concern is storing a bike
and with a bike share program, you
don't have to worry about that," she
added.
MHEALTHY
From Page 1A
locally grown produce.
Event coordinator Heather Mozes, an
administrative assistant in the office of
the executive vice president and chief
financial officer, said the group tried to
invite as many internal vendors for the
event as possible. Volunteers came from
multiple University institutions, includ-
ing the Kellogg Eye Center and the School
of Dentistry.
"We couldn't have asked for a better
day to kick off fall and let everyone know
what we're about," Mozes said. "A lot of
faculty, staff and students aren't aware
of what we have here, with the eye cen-
ter and dentistry, Rec Sports and physi-
cal medicine. The fact that we can spread
that around is really great."
Mozes said it canbe difficult to main-
tain wellness in college and beyond, but
hopes events like these will be helpful
in their choice to prioritize healthy liv-
ing.
"I think at any age if you get out of the
routine of something, like getting enough
water or remembering to exercise, then
it's hard, especially when you don't exact-
OBESITY
From Page 1A
schools across the state. The program is
the result of collaboration between the
University, health insurer Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Michigan, Wayne State
University, the Michigan Fitness Foun-
dation and the United Dairy Industry of
Michigan.
The program is intended to reverse
Michigan's growing obesity problem.
About 26 percent of Michigan adoles-
cents are overweight or obese, according
to a report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Internal medicine Prof. Kim Eagle
is the co-founder of Project Healthy
Schools, which has been working with
local middle schools since 2004. He said
the program is designed to make cafete-
ria food healthier, limit the availability
of junk food and sugary beverages in
vending machines and encourage exer-
cise.
"For each school, we develop enrich-
ment programs that may focus on
walking clubs, volleyball programs
ly know what's offered," she said. "This is
a way of making these resources available
and sharing our lifestyle with everyone
else."
Wednesday was the second day in
three days of events that MHealthy is
hosting this week. On Tuesday, the area
surrounding the Modern Languages
Building looked more like a carnival than
a college campus, as MHealthy teamed
up with Rec Sports and other University
organizations to host a Play Day event. As
opposed to the Health and Wellness Fair,
this event emphasized exercise.
Many students and faculty were seen
taking a break between class and meet-
ings to partake in activities including
hopscotch, Frisbee golf, hula hooping
competitions and an inflatable obstacle
course.
"People think exercise has to be drudg-
ery, but it so does not," Colleen Greene,
an MHealthy senior wellness coordina-
tor said. "We have a lot of activities, so
there's definitely something for everyone;
if you get them having fun they won't
even know they're doing something good
for them."
Greene estimated that several hundred
people participated throughout the day.
In celebration of its 100th birthday this
Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 5A
year, Rec Sports encouraged people to do
100 repetitions of any type of physical
activity, such as lunges, sit-ups or jump-
ing jacks.
"We're trying to get involved in all
kinds of events as we celebrate this mile-
stone of keeping students and staff in
shape with physical activity," Jon Swerd-
low, senior assistant director of Rec
Sports said. "Exercise helps your brain
and helps you in all ways, especially when
you're busy because it keeps you sharper,
you sleep better, and are emotionally,
mentally and physically better."
Swerdlow said involvement had been
"non-stop" and people seemed excited
about the midday opportunity to get
active.
LSA freshman Bianka Kristen stopped
by the event and made a beeline for the
obstacle course after class.
"It's nice to be outside after being
inside all day and sitting around a lot, so
this was a fun way to do that," Christen
said. "It's one of those things that even
when you're busy you have to want to
make time for exercise because it's so
important."
MHealthy is hosting another Play Day
event tomorrow in front of the University
Hospital from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
or creating a school garden to further
enrich the experience for middle school-
ers," Eagle said.
This is the first year for Building
Healthy Communities, which works
with middle schools of associated with
Project Healthy Schools and adds ele-
mentary schools. Eagle said the collabor-
ative strategy was made possible by their
partners modeling elementary-school
programs off Project Healthy School's
established plan for middle schools.
"Our health system has created a
model that other health systems in the
state ... want to emulate, where they give
back to their communities through a
very clear activity that is working with
schools to try to create healthier envi-
ronments and educational messaging to
improve the health of our youth," Eagle
said.
Eagle said the program's main focus
is on low-income areas, which often lack
options for residents to buy nutritious
food at affordable prices.
"The (obesity) rate is particularly
high in lower-income communities
where the resources or access say to
fresh foods and vegetables through
typical grocery stores or the access to
safe recreational facilities and/or pro-
grams are reduced because of financial
pressure," he said.
Eagle said the 28 schools were chosen
based more on a "keen willingness" to
implement the initiative rather than any
concrete criteria.
St. Thomas the Apostle in Ann Arbor
is the only school within Washtenaw
County to be a beneficiary of the pro-
gram.
Eagle said the program's administra-
tors are working on achieving funding
self-sufficiency within a few years. Once
initial set-up costs have been covered
and volunteers have been trained to run
the educational programs, he antici-
pates upkeep costs will be minimal.
"All the evidence and data show that
when children are healthier, they are
more likely to succeed in the classroom
and beyond," said Registered dietician
Shannon Carney Oleksyk, an advisor
for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
"These programs encourage children
to make healthy choices at a young age,
laying the foundation for a healthier,
stronger Michigan future."
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