UNC officials took some time on Wednesday afternoon for a quick bike ride on campus.

Tar Heel Bikes. Photo via Blake Hodge.

The celebration was part of the launch of UNC’s new bike share program to ferry students and staff across campus known as Tar Heel Bikes.

Chancellor Carol Folt said this was a program that students and administrators had been dreaming about.

“It is such a great opportunity for us to really continue to live the practices of sustainability and the Three Zeros that we care so much about,” Folt told a crowd gathered in front of Davis Library.

The Three Zeros Folt mentioned refer to the university’s effort to reach water neutrality, zero waste and greenhouse gas neutrality. The university initially announced the bike share program at Three Zeros Day last month. Folt also announced at that event in late September that UNC had achieved water neutrality – meaning the university did not use more water than falls on the campus grounds.

UNC chief sustainability officer and associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises Brad Ives spoke at Wednesday’s event while wearing his bicycle helmet. He said this initiative would help toward UNC’s goal of increasing sustainability on campus.

UNC’s Brad Ives speaking at launch of bike share program. Photo via Blake Hdoge.

“We’re going to be foregoing diesel and gasoline that’s going to haul people around,” Ives said. “They’re going to be riding bikes. We also have the health impact of riding bikes, which is really important to campus.”

Ives added that having the visual cue of the Carolina blue bicycles making their way around campus would serve as reminder of the goals shared across the university.

“To have these bikes, see them and to know what it represents for campus as far as lowering our emissions and having a healthier lifestyle.”

The initial rollout of Tar Heel Bikes includes 100 bikes across 18 locations on campus. Gotcha Bike – a company specializing in bike share programs – provides the bicycles and the inaugural year of the program is sponsored by Burt’s Bees.

The bikes are available to be checked out on campus to students, faculty and staff.

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