Student Assembly

Rationale of the Committee

The Committee appreciated the professionalism of Big Red Bikes’ presentation and the thoroughness of their proposal. Committee members felt that Big Red Bikes provides a great service to Cornell undergraduates and looks forward to funding future growth for the organization. Much of the increase in funding was due to the projected purchase of new, more durable bicycles. Committee members felt that these bicycles would enhance the overall rider experience and attract new users to the bike share program. In addition, the new bikes would likely require less maintenance in the future and would have a longer life span of 5+ years in contrast to the 3–5 year life span of the current bikes. In short, the new bikes, although initially seen by some committee members as an unnecessary additional convenience, would not only bring more students to the program but also reduce future costs for the organization. In addition, committee members supported the organization’s push to expand the number of bike stations around campus to appeal to more groups of Cornell undergraduates.

While most committee members supported a full increase, some were concerned about the future of the organization’s leadership and encouraged them to continue to build up their ongoing membership base. In addition, members encouraged Big Red Bikes to track the graduate student usage of the program over the next 2 years and apply for GPSA funding, if appropriate.

Vote Totals

The Committee votes down, from the highest number proposed to the lowest, to give the group the advantage. The vote totals from the Committee were as follows:

Respectfully submitted,

Adam Nicoletti ‘12
Vice President for Finance, Student Assembly