Houston BCycle expands to Texas Southern University with five new stations
Houston Chronicle | Staff Report
Texas Southern University is now hosting five Houston BCycle stations at its Third Ward campus.
The local bike share organization partnered with TSU staff to determine the ideal locations: Student Life Center — East, Student Life Center — West, Student Recreation Center, University Towers and University Courtyard Apartments.
Students and staff will now be able to make short trips on campus and connect to Houston BCycle’s larger, 82-station network across the city. With stations at University of Houston and in nearby neighborhoods like Downtown, Midtown, East End, and the Museum District, Houston BCycle and TSU hope to encourage use of the bikes in place of single-occupant car trips.
“We’re absolutely honored to bring bike sharing to TSU’s campus, especially considering the bike lane upgrades that Mayor Turner and Commissioner Ellis are helping fund in the area,” said Beth Martin, Executive Director of Houston Bike Share, the 501(c)3 nonprofit that operates Houston BCycle. “We know this mini-network will provide a fun, healthy, sustainable and affordable way for students and staff to get around on campus and connect to the rest of the Houston BCycle network with stations throughout the city.”
Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a vocal and longtime supporter of the benefits of bike transit, helped provide funding for the five new stations at TSU.
“As a proud alumnus of Texas Southern, I couldn’t be happier about working with Houston BCycle to bring more safe, affordable transportation choices to the TSU community,” said Commissioner Ellis. “For many Houstonians, especially students, owning and maintaining a car can be a hardship. Expanding BCycle to TSU will improve the quality of life for everyone on campus and give more people the freedom to travel throughout the city in an affordable and environmentally conscious way.”
In a push for equity and affordability, Houston BCycle offers low-cost membership plans and discounted rates for those working for and pursuing higher education. For $5 per month, TSU students and staff will get unlimited rides throughout the entire Houston BCycle system. For members, each ride is covered for up to an hour and overage fees are $3 per 30 minutes.
Even for those without access to the student/staff university discount, Houston BCycle is $9 per month, making it the cheapest form of public transit in Houston. Anyone can purchase a membership in minutes at houstonbcycle.com and start improving their commute.
“TSU is committed to providing convenient, fun and healthy options for our students, staff and faculty members,” said TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. “We’d like to thank Commissioner Ellis, TSU Student Regent Kennard Jones, and Houston BCycle for making this happen. Given our proximity to the Columbia Tap Rail-Trail, we look forward to seeing the red bikes rolling in, out and around our beautiful campus.”