On most Tuesday mornings, sophomore John Chen, 20, computer science major, can be seen pedaling several miles down a busy San Jose street to the nearest bus stop, the early morning air watering his eyes as he races to catch the 9:15 a.m. bus to De Anza.
Last quarter, Chen said the routine was much more stressful, and he would often show up late to his 10:30 a.m. class or skip it entirely.
“There were days where I waited 15 to 20 minutes, and by the time the next bus came, I was already behind,” Chen said. “Being able to borrow this bike has almost been life-changing. It saves me so much time, and I’m hardly ever late anymore.”
Chen is one of dozens of students who borrow bikes each quarter through De Anza’s decade-old Bike Program, a student-led partnership with the Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Office of College Life. The program offers a sustainable, accessible way for students to get around campus and now issues about 60 bikes per quarter.
Ethan Brignetti, 21, biology major and bike program coordinator, said the overarching goal of the program is to encourage people to ride a bike rather than driving and burning fossil fuels.
“The other goal is to provide students with access, especially for those that live far from public transportation,” Brignetti said.
Not everyone is guaranteed a bike. For Joseph Sheppard, 21, economics major, getting a bike this quarter was not possible, but says he is hopeful about borrowing one next quarter.
“I initially thought students could go to the Office of College Life and borrow a bike but, there’s an application process.”
Students can borrow bikes for up to a year during the fall, winter and spring quarters but must first submit an application and wait for approval before checking one out.
“Applications open at the beginning of each quarter and close when all available bikes are borrowed,” Brignetti said. “We highly encourage anyone interested in using a bike to apply as soon as applications open because there usually is high demand for bikes.”
For freshman Leila Ahmad, 19, chemistry major, the bike program solves different problems. She lives close to campus and relies on the bike to commute to class and for activities outside of school.
“A lot of people don’t know how fun it actually is to ride a bike,” Ahmad said. “I don’t have to worry about parking, and I can ride it nearly everywhere — to work, to school, to my friends’.”
Despite the program’s popularity among students, Dennis Shannakian, operations specialist and student activities coordinator, said the program has room for improvement. Shannakian said he hopes the program continues to expand to meet the increasing demand, noting e-bikes are in higher demand.
“The program is currently run by the Office of College Life and the Environmental Sustainability Committee, so that means myself and a few committee interns,” said Shannakian.
The office processes forms, verifies eligibility and coordinates with Community Cycles, the nonprofit that repairs and maintains the bikes. Student interns handle marketing and the program application, Shannakian said.
Although Sheppard doesn’t have a bike yet, he said it will improve his schedule when he does.
“I can’t wait because that means I’ll be able to go from school to work faster. That saves me half an hour that I can be spending on finishing up assignments,” he said.
Whether it’s Chen racing for the bus or Sheppard hoping for his turn next quarter, the bikes rolling across campus show how something simple can reshape a student’s routine.
“I didn’t know how much time I was losing until I got a bike,” said Chen.
