CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – A new bike business is bringing more convenience to people in Champaign.
The City of Champaign reported that in May of this year, there were more than 43,000 trips on Veo bikes. A new company, Bird, has over 100 electrically-assisted “Bird Bikes” already approved to ride in Champaign and on the University of Illinois campus.
Other brands of bikes in the city get dropped off on street sides, whereas the Bird Bikes are required to be placed back in what are called “Bird Nests.”
City Associate Planner Lily Wilcock said they are a convenient way to get around C-U without needing a car or waiting for bus travel.
“Frankly, we’ve seen it as an essential form of transportation for many people in the community,” she said. “It’s actually shored up a lot of the transportation demands on the bus services where there isn’t regular bus service, or it’s difficult to find spots. It’s also allowed for people who are operating on, like, maybe second or third shifts when buses are less frequent.”
Wilcock added that while it does provide access to safe and reliable transportation, people need to remember to avoid riding on sidewalks.
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