Bike share project rolling along at PAC

Mass communication sophomore Justin Overmiller joked around by singing "Do your chain hang low, do it wobble to the flo" (from "Chain Hang Low" by Jibbs ) while holding a bike chain for his partner, Noel Vargas, community volunteer who also donated a bike.

The Go Green! Viva Verde! Committee at Palo Alto College is putting together a bike share program for students and staff to improve air quality, reduce usage of fuel vehicles and promote exercise.

At the second bike workshop of the semester Feb. 5 in the facilities carport, about 15 volunteers gathered to learn how to assemble and fix bikes.

The program is led by Dr. Denise B. Richter, communication professor and adviser to The Pulse student newsletter and chair of the Go Green! Viva Verde! Committee and co-chair of the District Sustainability Council at Palo Alto. The program is planning to have five to six bike stations throughout the campus and may start later this semester or early fall.

It will run under an honor system, which allows cyclists to use bicycles around campus and drop them off at any designated station. Richter said businesses around campus will be notified about the lending system and will be asked to alert authorities if users attempt to steal bicycles.

Richter said inspiration for the program came from her deceased father, Art Barkis, who collected bike parts as a hobby and reassembled bicycles to give to low-income children in Liberty in Southeast Texas.

Richter's father's bike parts were donated in a drive that collected 20 bikes, which were named for donors or volunteers.

"Dad's parts will have a second life," she said.

Via Metropolitan Transit donated half of the bicycles, and the rest were donated by Palo Alto staff and students and members of the community. Mayor Julian Castro's mother, Rosie Castro, director of the center for academic transitions at PAC, donated a bike.

Service King Collision Repair volunteered to prime and paint the bicycles. Steve Sikes, regional business development Central Texas, said, "We love to get involved with the community and sponsor different events."

Journalism sophomore Laura de Leon, who works at Blue Star Bicycling Co., asked mechanic Jimmy Hover, to help. Among the volunteers was Franken Bike mechanic Henry L. Parrilla, who taught volunteers how to assemble bicycles.

Liliana Ross, public relations sophomore, brought her children, Dora Llanes, a Burbank High School junior, and Joshua Llanes, an eighth grader at Harris Middle school.

"We started volunteering back in 2009 helping out with the Go Green! Viva Verde! Committee," Ross said.

Former City Councilman Philip Cortez, a former PAC student, recognized PACfest as the first Fiesta event that recycled in 2009. The following year, Mayor Julian Castro proclaimed Fiesta Verde, making recycling available for all Fiesta events.

Richter said she hopes the bike share program will expand to other Alamo Colleges.

Lydia Kelly, bicycle and pedestrian transportation planner at San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization, will lead bike safety workshops at noon Monday in the student center annex and at noon Thursday in Room 101 of the performing arts center. Attendees will receive a free helmet.

For more information, visit the office of student engagement and retention in Room 124 of the student center at Palo Alto, or call 210-486-3125.