Program History
A group of bike commuters, students, staff, and community members gathered to discuss ways to attack the air quality problem in Cache Valley and launch a community bike program. This group changed a previously restrictive walkway policy on the USU campus that paved the way for the Aggie Blue Bikes (ABB) program.
September ABB opened its doors with one employee (founder Adam Christensen) and a fleet of nine bicycles that were available for free checkout to the USU community. By the end of the year the fleet had grown to eighteen bikes.
Bike fleet had more than tripled to 65 bikes
ABB hosted the first Cache Valley Bicycle Festival. This annual bicycle culture event with a strong emphasis on education and cycling promotion which included bicycle education booths, competitions, music, food, a bike swap, and vendor sales.
Bike fleet had grown to 120 bikes
ABB employees started an annual Friends of Santa program in which its employees collect donated children’s bikes and refurbish them to give to children in need in Cache Valley.
Spring: ABB student employees realized they would not be able to serve the amount of students they desired because the demand for bikes far exceeded the supply. In response, ABB expanded the educational side of its services to include one-on-one tutorials, weekly community classes, and League of American Bicyclists classes. That year ABB also implemented student tool boards for students to maintain personal bicycles with ABB employees available to teach proper bicycle maintenance.
ABB employees started an annual Martin Luther King Day food drive that has been completely bicycle powered.
Through these first years, Aggie Blue Bikes was funded by various contributors throughout campus including the Provost’s Office, the Vice President of Student Services, and the Sustainability Council. These funds were leveraged with an AmeriCorps grant from ABB’s home department, Utah Conservation Corps.
ABB successfully applied for its own three year AmeriCorps grant.
ABB successfully gained a $1.25 student fee that dramatically increased the number of bicycles available to 160 and allowed for the hiring of a program coordinator.
A fee increase of $1.00 was proposed to help fund the program coordinator position, making it a 75% time USU staff position. This increase was voted on by the student fee board, and was passed.
A 75% time program coordinator was hired.
A $0.50 fee increase was proposed and was passed by the student fee board in order to fund additional staff mechanics.
ABB became the lead sponsor of USU’s Open Street Festival, an event that aims to promote active transportation on 7th North by closing it down to vehicular traffic and opening it to active transportation. The event occurs every fall.
In 2014, a $.50 increase was proposed to fund an hourly shop manager position. This increase was put in front of the student fee board and was denied.
ABB was awarded a $89,660 grant from the Utah Department of Transportation in order to complete a comprehensive shop remodel. The remodel was completed in fall 2015, just in time for ABB’s 10 year anniversary.
It was apparent that ABB three month checkouts were in such high demand there would be no way everybody could rent a bike so ABB began to research bikeshare programs. After much work, lots of collaboration, and meetings, it was decided that ABB would coordinate the launch of a dockless bikeshare system, Spin. This program was graciously run by Joyride Bikes.
The bikeshare program with Joyride Bikes concluded, and ABB learned that modern bikesharing in our community works. ABB created our first Alley Cat Bike Race which is now an event that happes multiple times a year.
The COVID pandemic impacted how the shopw as able to run, and for a while the shop had to close down completely. Student mechanics completed their hours at the SNAC food pantry or on the Utah Conservation Corps farm.
Later that year: The shop still wasn't fully open due to the pandemic, but mechanics still found ways to help those who needed bikes and educate others on how to fix their bikes.
In early 2021, the funding for ABB changed from student fees to E&G (education & growth). This came after the University administration tried to cut ABB due to student fee issues, but a great community of students and lovers of bikes rallied behind ABB and managed to save it.
ABB stgarted a partnership with Athletics United (https://www.athleticsunited.us/), a great nonprofit that helps refugees inegrate with their communities through physical, personal, and social growth.
We continue building our fleet of bikes, and this year we started painting them ourselves instead of sending them to be painted.
2021 was a record breaking year for amounts of bikes checked out to students, and more students than ever came in to elarn how to fix their bikes.
ABB also partnered with the USU Inclusion Center for our first Out for a Ride, an alley cat race on campus during Pride month, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community
Blue Bikes rented out over 200 bicycles in the first month of the fall semester, and achieved the highest number of tool board visits to date.
Beloved event Bike to Breakfast was brought back for a Fall episode. The event was highly successful, and over 200 people showed up on bicycles to enjoy breakfast with us.