As gas prices remain high at the pump, students and faculty members are finding alternate modes of transportation to campus. This summer, students can rent bicycles from UOSA, according to Tammy Womack, UOSA staff assistant.

All current students at the Norman campus are eligible to rent a bicycle this summer, Womack said. UOSA's Department of Student Resources began the bicycle check-out program in January 2005, she said.

"During the summer, if students need a bike and want to rent one, they can come in and check one out if bikes are available at that time," Womack said.

Anisa Xhaja, microbiology and Spanish senior, said because of the higher gas prices, she would much rather walk or ride a bicycle to class than drive.

"I didn't know that you could check the bikes out during the summer," Xhaja said. "I just moved closer to campus so now I could actually get the bike and ride instead of drive, which trust me, will save me a lot of money in the end."

Womack said the program has been very popular in the past and that all bicycles are rented to students quickly.

Earth Natural Foods and Deli in Norman, located off Flood Avenue, provides an incentive for customers to ride bicycles. Sarah Dearner, an associate at Earth Natural Foods and Deli, said they give customers who walk or ride their bikes to the store a 10 percent discount on all merchandise.

All customers have to do is tell the cashier that they walked or bicycled, and they will receive the discount. The discount has been offered for a few years now and is very popular with college students, she said.

Twomey said he has taken advantage of the 10 percent discount. He said he thinks the discount is one small way that a local business can promote health, wellness and a cleaner environment in the community.

Samuel Manickam, a graduate teaching assistant in Spanish, said he has been using a bicycle to get to campus for almost three years now. He said the many benefits of using a bicycle over a car include: no parking permit needed, no time wasted in looking for a parking spot, much lower gasoline bills, less pollution and less noise.

"Since I live only a mile from campus, it's more practical to ride my bike," Manickam said. "In fact, I chose to live close to campus so that I could walk or ride my bike. I don't miss driving my car on a daily basis."

He said he is glad that OU provides many bike racks all over the campus, but he thinks OU should encourage even more bikers by providing financial incentives to bike instead of drive to campus.

"There are a number of professors who bike to campus, and I suspect these are the ones who live nearby, which is great," Manickam said. "I hope to be able to ride my bike or walk to campus wherever I end up teaching as a professor someday."

Bicycle check-out for the fall 2006 semester will begin the last week of August, Womack said.

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