HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Electronic bikes are coming to the Marshall University campus in Huntington.
The new transportation option is part of the Rolling Thunder Bike Share program aimed at enhancing campus mobility.
Amy Parsons-White, sustainability manager at Marshall, said it’s a great way to support sustainable travel options and offer a new way for students to get around campus.
“It’s just one more way we can reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the amount of cars on the road,” she said. “It offers students, especially those who have class downtown at our visual arts center, a quick and easy way to get to class without having to park their car.”
Marshall’s program is in partnership with Charleston Mobility, a leading mobility solutions provider based in Charleston, South Carolina. Parsons-White said there was a big draw to working with Charleston Mobility.
“They’ll be offering bike riding safety courses. They gave away free helmets at the bike share launch so that everyone could have a helmet who wanted one,” she said.
The university held a launch event last week where they welcomed a fleet of 60 cutting-edge e-bikes and six rental hubs.
“We’re really excited about it because it gives our students a way to get from place to place. A lot of our students don’t have cars,” she said.
Parsons-White said it’s a cost-effective option for those looking to save on gas. She said people will get one hour of free riding a day.
“They get an hour free every day and then it’s $0.20 per minute that they go over that hour daily. It’s a pretty good amount of free ride time and not very expensive if you go over,” she said.
Students, faculty, or staff who want to use the e-bikes need an active Marshall ID number.