Allegheny College will join the company of Bard College, Macalaster College and the Massachussetts Institute of Technology when a new bicycle sharing program comes to campus next year.

The program, tentatively titled the Allegheny College Bike Share Initiative, will provide bicycles for the use of the Allegheny community free of charge. The group plans on building a small fleet of bikes in the upcoming months through donations and a $500 prize that the group recently won in the Gator Innovation Challenge.

“Our vision is to try to highlight bikes as a sustainable transportation alternative,” said Justine Law, ’08, an environmental science major who helped start the program. “We’re trying to create a shift in mindset.”

In November, Law began planning the program with fellow environmental science major Ross Scatchard, ’07.

“I read about it [bike share programs] at other schools,” Law said . “In Austin, the entire city has it.”

Basically, the program provides refurbished bicycles to be used by all members of the community. Bikes will be dropped off at designated areas throughout the campus. There are no sign up lists or reservations; a person can simply pick up a bike when they need one, and drop it off when they are finished. The program will run entirely on the honor system.

“For now, we want the program to be as easy as possible to run and manage,” Law said. “We just want the program to run itself.”

The students organizing the program hope to deter possible vandals by painting the bikes outlandish colors. Bikes will most likely be fitted with locks and chains for off-campus trips.

The group expects to eventually make 10 to 25 bikes available. They plan on obtaining old bikes from Allegheny faculty, employees and local residents, and have received five so far. The Meadville City Police Department will potentially donate six impounded bikes.

Stephen Pope, ’10, will serve as the program’s repair man, and will make the secondhand bikes safe for use.

“I’ve been a mechanic at my bike shop at home in Boston for two years,” said Pope. “I’m really excited about [the program]. I was thinking about trying to start something similar myself, but Justine Law has more initiative than I do.”

The best part of the bike exchange is that it’s not only good for the environment, but it benefits students also, Law said.

“It’s fun and healthy, and an easy way to go downtown and do something fun,” Law said.