San Diego State University Bike Rental Program Launches

The Aztec Bike rental program is San Diego State University’s latest attempt to gain recognition as a bicycle-friendly university from the League of American Bicyclists. The rental program is one of the many environmentally sustainable projects spurred by SDSU’s Green Love,  the faculty-student run sustainability advisory board.

Officially announced earlier this summer, rentals began at the Aztec Recreation Center a week after the start of the fall 2012 semester on Wednesday, September 5 with seven 1-speed beach cruiser bicycles. According to Eric Huth, director at the ARC, these were all rented out by the second day of the program’s launch. Huth also reported that the ARC received an additional three 3-speed beach cruiser bicycles on the afternoon of September 6, which were expected to be rented out immediately.

Bike rentals are open to all current SDSU students and faculty with state-issued driver’s license or ID, credit card, and university-issued RED ID. Rentals are on a month-to-month basis and cost $30/month for those with ARC memberships and $35/month for non-members. This costs includes a U-lock to secure the rental bike–a certain necessity as SDSU has been a target for bicycle theft and, per Huth, the rental program currently offers no insurance plan in the event that the bicycle becomes stolen or damaged.

Based on the speed at which the first couple of batches of rental bikes have been rented out, it seems likely that the program will steadily increase the number of rental bikes they have available as the semester rolls on, advocating increased ridership on and around campus.