Students may be able to rent one of 10 used bicycles for free at the library circulation desk this March under a pilot plan called the DeisBikes rental program, which was proposed by the Union Senate's special bicycle task force, should the program's proposal pass.The task force was created last semester, and it is composed of senators and environmental studies students.

On Nov. 16, members of the task force presented their plan to the Senate and requested $1,305 from the Senate discretionary to cover the cost of the bicycles, their initial tune-up, tools, helmets, bicycle pumplocks and decals. The Senate will vote on the Senate Money Resolution for the bike program on Nov. 23. The task force will also present the proposal at the Campus Life Committee's next meeting tomorrow.

The task force plans to purchase the used bikes from Spoke 'N Wheel, a Waltham bike store, the task force's members said.

Senators established the task force to pick up the project, which was first proposed by immediate past Union Vice President Michael Kerns '09. The members of the task force are Senator for the Class of 2010 Paul Balik, Senator for Charles River Quad Chenchao Lu '09, Ziv Quad Senator Andrew Brooks '09 and Castle Quad Senator Nathan Robinson '11. Five students, Lisa Frank '09, Caroline Cappello '11, Susan Paykin '11, Lea Giddins '11 and Kevin Lowenberg '11, from Prof. Laura Goldin's (AMST) class, "Greening Campus and Community: Improving Environmental Sustainability at Brandeis and Beyond," are also part of the task force. For these students, the project has been their long-term sustainability project for the class.

Goldin said she had heard interest in bikes for years from students, but there were concerns with challenges such as the hilly campus, the weather and lack of student interest. Today, she said, students are coming to campus much more environmentally conscious than before. Goldin said that she helped bring the two groups together when she became aware of the union's project through Lu.

"We now have at least two Zipcars on campus. . Now this is another, even better alternative for students." She also said that bikes "don't use anything in terms of fossil fuels, and I'm really very, very hopeful that students will be excited and take part in it."

"[The rental program is [useful] on a Saturday morning if you want to go to the farmer's market in Waltham," Cappello said. "It's cheaper, faster and healthier" than renting a zipcar.

Paykin said that it will be particularly useful for traveling to and from off-campus housing: "It's great for getting to the Mods and Grad." Paykin said the task force will work with the Department of Facilities to review how bike-friendly the campus is and to see if any changes might be necessary, such as installing more bike racks or other changes.

The task force explained that bikes will be available from August until mid-November and then again starting in mid-March because of weather conditions.

The program will be "completely student-run," Balik emphasized. Lu explained that students will check out a key from the library for a bike. The bikes will be located outside of the Goldfarb Library under weather protection, task force members said. Before using the bikes, students will have to sign a liability statement confirming that they will ride the bike safely and will wear a helmet. If students do not have a helmet, these will be provided as well. "The University is not liable for damages you might incur," Balik said, referring to physical injury.

Students will only be able to rent the bikes within a 24-hour period, Paykin said. Students returning the bikes late will have to pay a fine, Lu explained, yet to be determined. The idea is for the bikes to be "constantly coming in and out," Paykin said. "If the bike has serious damage, the [student who rented it] will be charged," Lu said. However, students will not be charged for basic maintenance, task force members explained.

Under the task force's current plan, a group of students will receive training at the bike shop to help other students perform tasks such as refilling air in the tires. The Union Senate Services Committee will eventually oversee the program, task force members said.

Brooks, a member of the University's Library and Technology Advisory Committee, explained that the task force wanted to take advantage of the library's book checkout technology, which can only be used on the library grounds for contractual reasons. Originally, task force members said they planned to have the bike checkouts be in the Shapiro Campus Center. At Sunday's Senate meeting, Lu and Brooks explained that currently, money from library fines goes into the University's general budget and is not necessarily invested in the areas where the fine is levied. They said they would craft a resolution and lobby the University to change this practice so that the fines could help sustain the bicycle program.

Task force members said they looked at similar programs at Wellesley, Emory and the University of North Carolina. The New York Times reported in October that more and more colleges are adopting campus bicycling initiatives to combat parking shortages and decrease car use. According to the article, most of the programs have run successfully. However, an initiative at St. Mary's College in Maryland encountered difficulties with theft and vandalism because care for the bikes was entirely voluntary, an official said.