If you wanted to hit speeds of 15 miles per hour on a ride-share motorized bike, this is the fall to try it out. From May 22 to August 7, the university and bike sharing partner Veo conducted a pilot program to expand use to Cosmo-e bikes on campus; that was extended to this semester. The motorized class-2 e-bikes are allowed to operate on university streets and dedicated bike lanes. They are found at a few key hubs near the Main Library, on Mathews Street near the Main Quad, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Parking is only allowed in designated university bicycle racks—the Veo app will not “end” your ride until it is properly parked.

Sarthak Prasad, sustainable transportation assistant, thinks the popularity of self-propelled options will bring users to try the Veo e-bike option. Improving transportation options for students, faculty, and staff is a priority for F&S and the university. Prasad said that survey respondents have found the e-bikes to be of positive value and safe. “We’ve had students asking for bike share for a long time and it’s been in the campus bike master plan — as well as the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP)— to introduce bikeshare to the campus as a viable, sustainable and affordable transportation option for our students,” Prasad said.

Geofencing restrictions protect pedestrian safety by constructing no-ride zones in certain parts of campus, namely the Main Quad. In some parts of campus, the max speed is 8 MPH, and in others, it becomes pedal-only. Part of the purpose of the pilot program is to find sections of campus that may require different restrictions —improving speed and safety concerns is inherent to the pilot.

To contact Veo with recommendations regarding the pilot, contact bike@illinois.edu and hello@veoride.com.