SGA passed a bill Monday night to allocate $15,042.43 from the SGA reserve fund to hire a part-time graduate student to manage a new campus bike program for one year.
The graduate student selected will work for the Department of Health and Wellness, and the allocated funding is the University mandate for a 20-hour work week.
SGA President Kirby Turnage said the process of selecting a student to manage the program will be important.
"The last thing you want is someone who is apathetic," Turnage said. "You want someone who cares."
The graduate student selected will manage 57 seven-speed bikes for student use beginning fall semester 2012.
"The general idea is to pick up a bike and drop it off wherever you go to class," said Owen Parrish, assistant vice president of facilities. "The bikes we chose are great to cruise around campus, allowing us to get places faster without it being a hazard."
The $34,875 needed to purchase the bikes is still being negotiated, but it will likely come from a concession board grant, or money derived directly from auxiliary enterprises such as University vending machines, according to the SGA.
$150,000 from student fees-- money that is not allocated to any specific project--is also pending to be used for a storage and maintenance building for the bikes at the CDV extension on Wire Road.
"This says something about a progressive student government," Turnage said. "It will go a lot farther than people think."
After the program's first year, SGA will hand over the payment responsibilities to the Division of Student Affairs and see what kind of feedback students give at that time.
Although nearly $200,000 is being allocated for the project, Turnage said it is well deserved.
"I think it is going to be more than worth it," Turnage said. "I think it's going to successful at Auburn."
The original vote was for 21-speed bikes, but SGA chose the seven-speed bike because of its durability and added hand brakes.
Students using the bikes will be expected to stay on campus, and the bikes will be painted in a distinct way to identify them.
Bikes will be placed in areas with high student traffic, such as the Village, C-zone parking and the Hill dorms.
Liability will be a nonissue, as stickers will be placed on the bikes waiving University responsibility for injury.
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