Pacers Bikeshare e-bike stations can now be found by Dugan Hall, the Health and Recreation Complex and Atherton Union. Photo by Darcy Leber.
ELLA HALL | STAFF REPORTER | erhall@butler.edu
Butler University announced its new partnership with Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. and Pacers Bikeshare in a press conference on Aug. 26 outside Dugan Hall, celebrating the launch of three e-bike stations on Butler’s campus.
The partnership is the result of efforts by Butler’s Student Government Association (SGA) to sustainably address student transportation concerns, and Butler’s investments in the Pacers Bikeshare program alongside the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, a philanthropic foundation supporting organizations that contribute to more well-rounded communities.
Students, faculty and staff at Butler can all access the free Butler University pass, enabling unlimited 30-minute rides on any of the Pacers Bikeshare e-bikes. Users can sign up for the pass at the Pacers Bikeshare website.
Though the partnership had been a longstanding idea, it recently came to fruition through the Butler Gateway Project, as the university has taken steps to create a more connected community between Butler and the greater Indianapolis area.
Butler University’s president, James Danko, spoke at the press conference about how the new e-bikes offer this type of connection at a low cost. This makes it convenient for students to pursue a wide range of options, from entertainment to internships, while also welcoming local residents to Butler’s campus for events.
“This is more than just a transportation option,” Danko said. “It’s a way to bring people together, to strengthen connections and to make Butler an even more vibrant part of Indianapolis.”
The addition of easily accessible bikes on campus is something that SGA hopes will address many student concerns surrounding transportation.
Eloise Ayotte, SGA president and senior environmental studies major, spoke on the benefits she sees in offering the e-bikes as a transportation method.
“If you ask anyone on campus what the problem is, they’re going to say parking, right?” Ayotte said. “We agree, so I think that was a big inspiration. This program is a fantastic example of how this university truly does support its students and works to improve the student experience. This new program exemplifies the values of The Butler Way, through its emphasis on connectivity, new experiences and sustainability.”
Ayotte has prioritized increasing campus sustainability as a major goal for the student government this year. The e-bikes offer students a way to travel locally without producing carbon emissions.
Previous SGA administrations had already taken the major steps to connect with Pacers Bikeshare, so when the project was passed down to Elena Clark, a junior accounting and business technology major and SGA’s vice president, and Ayotte, they saw it as an opportunity to tackle some of their biggest missions. As leaders within the Butler community, they expressed their desire to continue advocating for student voices.
“We’ve talked a lot about legacy recently, so that’s the top of my mind,” Clark said. “How can we make a change and make Butler a better place?”
Kären Haley, executive director of Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc., reiterated this idea by emphasizing the benefits of Butler’s location in relation to popular local sites. There are 53 total stations throughout the city, so students can easily utilize the e-bikes for trips to Broad Ripple, the Monon Trail and downtown Indianapolis.
Though Butler is the first university to invest in the Pacers Bikeshare program, Haley hopes that this will spark interest for other local universities to bring bikes to their campuses, while also benefiting residents in college neighborhoods.
“I think in Indianapolis, there’s very much a culture of people saying, ‘Yes, let’s see how we can do that,’ and then ‘How do we do it in a way that makes as many people benefit as possible?’” Haley said. “I think that’s truly the nature of partnership.”
Haley mirrored SGA’s enthusiasm for innovative forms of public transportation, especially biking, emphasizing her passion for the project.
“It’s truly a joy when I get to walk or bike somewhere and Indianapolis, because we have such great investment in trails and sidewalks and green ways and bike connectivity,” Haley said. “Those are things that other communities don’t have, especially in an urban environment.”
