Parking and Transit services has released a first-of-its-kind amenity that will offer students the chance to keep their bikes in a safe and guarded area for absolutely no charge.
Students can also use bicycle fix-it stations, which include air pumps for flat tires.
The new facility, which opened Monday morning, is located east of the Memorial Union at the Tempe campus and operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Services are not available on weekends or University holidays.
Dietetics freshman Jesse Colden said he would definitely consider using the valet.
“I would use this service because theft here is definitely a problem,” he said.
The new service could potentially be very beneficial to students who have had bikes stolen.
Criminal justice freshman Breanna Kern said she may use the services because of past experiences.
“On my first day here at ASU, I had my bicycle stolen," she said.
This service is free for all ASU students, faculty and staff and provides them with a record of ownership. It also may act as documentation for any insurance carriers as well as aiding authorities in locating the owner of a stolen or recovered bicycle.
Nutrition graduate student Janessa Escajeda said she doesn’t ride a bike but knows that many people could benefit from this service.
“I think that this could save a lot of time for people who live on campus,” she said.
The University encourages students to register bicycles in an effort to deter theft. Juliet Nelson, manager of commuter options, is in charge of this service.
“We’ve been thinking about implementing this service at ASU because UA provides the same thing,” she said.
Up to 150 bicycles can be kept in the area. Students who register their bicycles to the valet service will be given a ticket that will be used to identify their bike, Nelson said.
She said the University will begin planning parking garages for bicycles next month. The first location will be located south of Payne Hall. It has the capacity to hold approximately 64 bikes.
“We will determine if we need to put garages on other campuses later,” Nelson said.
Reach the reporter at kgrega@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @kelciegrega