By Will Coffman, Local and National Editor
On the edge of campus, near University Eatz and Arcade sits a new Cincinnati Red Bike station, providing Xavier students with a new way to explore the Queen City.
The Red Bike system allows people to check out and return a bike at any of the more than 70 stations present around town.
The system requires riders to rent out a bike through the company’s mobile app, or if a station has a credit card reader, riders can pay with a card to gain access to a bike for two hours. Once those two hours are up, riders will have to dock their bike at a station. If they wish to keep traveling, they can either dock the bike, and rent out a new one, or keep going on the original bike but pay $5 for every hour past the first two.
“I think this will give students access to the Greater Cincinnati area. Wasson connects to a lot of things, like the Kroger, and it’ll help students without cars really get to places they otherwise would have struggled to get to,” junior biomedical sciences major Drew Barhorst said.
Xavier partners with Red Bike to expand transportation opportunities on campus.
The location of the new station near Wasson Way allows Xavier students to have direct access to the roughly 4.3 mile trail that runs through areas such as Rookwood or puts them in close vicinity to other Cincinnati neighborhoods, including Hyde Park. It also gives students another option of travel besides their car or walking, allowing a new way to travel, whether for errands or just for fun.
“I enjoy spending time on the trail. It’ll give me a new avenue to explore Wasson and get further down the trail in a shorter amount of time,” Barhorst said.
Another benefit of the program is the physical activity biking provides. In a 2022 article by the Cleveland Clinic on the benefits of cycling, it listed improved strength and flexibility as well as helping with coordination and balance as some reasons to take up cycling.
Biking is also a low-impact form of exercise, meaning it is friendlier on your joints, providing a good option for students looking to include an easy and quick way to work out in their schedule.
In the university Instagram post announcing the partnership, Maria Merrill, the school’s Director of Student Wellbeing Services states hopes for the project and why the university felt this partnership was important.
“We believe deeply in the value of holistic care for our community members, and this bike share program has the potential to enhance several dimensions of student wellbeing for our campus,” Merrill stated.
The weather outside right now is likely postponing any bike rides, but as the weather warms up and the snow and ice melt, students will have a new way to see the city Xavier calls home.