Blue Urban Bikes

A Community Bicycle Loan Program

Blue Urban Bikes (BUB), a community bicycle loan program, is designed to provide a reliable source of healthy, convenient and sustainable transportation. Our community is ideal for getting around on a bicycle -- riding a bike simply takes less time than driving through traffic and looking for parking (especially on game day), and then it leaves you feeling strong, able and healthy. Nobody suspected in 2006 that gas prices would rise over four dollars per gallon and the economy would crash in 2008 and 2009; however, we always knew that the BUB fleet would provide a great transportation alternative that is not only affordable but also lessens our environmental footprint.

How does it work? Once you join the BUB program, you receive a card with which you can check out our Carolina Blue Bikes for 24 hours at a time from a number of BUB Hubs located throughout Carrboro and Chapel Hill and soon on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Each BUB Hub accommodates multiple bikes; racks are installed to secure the BUBs when not in use (each locked to the rack with it's own cable lock). Employees of each BUB Hub check-out a bike, exchanging the lock key (and helmet and road lights if necessary) for the member's card. A simple log records the transaction.

Upon return of the BUB, an employee at the BUB Hub performs a quick "ABC" inspection: air pressure of the tires, brakes, chain and gears (also asking the rider if they noticed anything wrong). The ReCYCLEry offers a short class to participating town and business venues on how to perform this inspection. BUBs failing this inspection are culled out of circulation until needed repairs are performed by the ReCYCLEry. The combination of checking-out and checking-in each BUB should require less than ten minutes. BUB Hubs are responsible for regular inspection of the BUBs and calling in necessary repairs to the ReCYCLEry. ReCYCLEry/BUB volunteers also make rounds inspecting the bikes. In exchange for a bike rack and a small investment in time, participating towns and businesses can expect new clientele who value their role in making the community more sustainable.

The ReCYCLEry and our Blue Urban Bikes program have received support from the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and special recognition at RTP Headquarter's 2008 luncheon and award ceremony celebrating the achievements of the year's transportation demand management (TDM) programs, including the Durham County Trip Reduction Ordinance and TDM Programs in RTP, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties.

Interested?

You can become a part of the Blue Urban Bike community for only $10 a year. To join you can download and mail in a BUB Application [pdf file] and bring it by the ReCYCLEry or mail it in with your year's payment. We are changing our online registration system and will launch it on our new website soon. If you are interested in volunteering, you can download a Volunteer Application [pdf file] and mail it in or just stop by the ReCYCLEry. Please contact us if you need to stop by when we aren't running a regular workshop or class.

If you mail in your application, you will receive a membership card back in the mail, a map pointing out the BUB Hubs and a general information sheet pertaining to: sizing of the BUBs, riding edict and other responsibilities or good ideas. If you stop by the ReCYCLEry, you will have everything you need and be ready to ride.

BUB Hubs

3 Cups has moved to a new location and we are currently discussing the potential for a moved BUB Hub just a bit down from Whole Foods

3 Cups coffee shop at 227 S. Elliott Rd., Chapel Hill

Back Alley Bikes at 108 N. Graham Street, Chapel Hill

Townsend Bertram & Company Adventure Outfitters at 200 N. Greensboro St. facing Weaver Street, Carrboro, in front Carr Mill Mall to the right of Weaver Street Market

Owen's 501 Diner at 1500 Fordham Blvd. (15-501 bypass), Chapel Hill, in between Eastgate and Rams Plaza

YMCA at 980 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill

Balanced Movement/ Balanced Physical Therapy at 304 W. Weaver St., Carrboro

Chapel Hill Town Hall at 405 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd,
Chapel Hill

Johnny's Sporting Goods at 901 West Main St., Carrboro

USAT at 104 South Estes Drive, Suites 202-205, Chapel Hill