Students and staff at BU will be able to hire a bike for an academic year for just £25 through a new scheme.
People who sign up to the BU by Bike scheme will also receive lights and a lock for the bike, cycle helmet and bike maintenance vouchers and access to free skills training and workshops.
The BU by Bike Scheme is just one of a number of new initiatives funded by Bournemouth Borough Council’s Getting About programme to encourage more people to travel by bike.
These include new bike storage facilities on campus, with an extra 152 bike spaces at Talbot Campus planned to be in place for early 2014.
Richard Wintrip, travel plan coordinator at BU, said: “It has all been designed to break down the barriers to cycling.
“If people want to cycle but aren’t sure if they want to spend all that money on a bike, this is an affordable way for them to do that.”
The BU by Bike scheme will support up to 225 loan bikes, and there will also be an additional 10 loan bikes available for weekend use.
Working in partnership with Sport BU and SUBU, Bournemouth Borough Council is also providing support for four students to be trained in cycle maintenance to assist with the project.
Murray Simpson, SUBU President, said: “It’s fantastic to see Bournemouth University continuously encouraging greener ways to travel to University.
“The BU Bike scheme will not only allow students a cheaper and healthier alternative for travelling to University, but it will also help reduce the number of cars and traffic in the local area.”
Ian Kalra, Bournemouth Borough Council’s Transportation Services Manager, added: “The new and improved facilities will make cycling to and from the universities easier and safer for students studying in Bournemouth.”
Find out more and sign up to the BU by Bike scheme
The scheme was launched as part of a series of events taking place at BU for Green Week, which include a Fairtrade Cook Off, Bike Tagging and a Give and Take Day.