The program began without any external funding. James used bikes that he had owned or that had been donated to him.

“The...model was optimized with the understanding that there was no outside funding. It made us do a lot of things which were pretty creative and innovative,” James says.

As the program expanded, James refurbished bikes to add to his fleet. James now receives abandoned bikes from House building managers, Harvard Real Estate, and the Cambridge Department of Public Works.

In May 2010, LevBikes received a grant from the Office for Sustainability that allowed it to expand. LevBikes and VeriFast cycles—a bike sharing program of the Environmental Action Committee—merged to form CrimsonBikes, which operates campus-wide.

While originally based on an honor system that trusted users to return the bikes they borrowed, the program has now added a security system with cameras in each key cabinet and an online tracking system.

CrimsonBikes operates three stations—the original outpost in Leverett, one in front of Lowell House, and one in the Quad—and plans to create stations in Dunster, Mather, Eliot, and the Yard. The program will also soon absorb the Law School’s bike sharing program.

Currently, CrimsonBikes runs under the umbrella of the Environmental Action Committee, but the group is considering becoming an officially recognized student organization—a request made by the University, according to James.

It may also team up with Harvard Student Agencies, though James worries that a partnership with the business group might be a strange match for his nonprofit program.

“I’m a little apprehensive about it,” James says. “CrimsonBikes isn’t about making money, so that’s the concern.”

TWO PROGRAMS FOR TWO-WHEELERS

James says he is not afraid of Hubway’s expansion on campus because the two organizations have different operational strategies.

Hubway only operates 8 months of the year, suspending services from November to March. CrimsonBikes decided to make bikes free of charge for long-term checkout over the winter.

CrimsonBikes offers a diverse assortment of bikes, including street and mountain bikes, while Hubway has one standard model.

“Our goal is to make biking as accessible to as many people, so it’s not just something that people do here but a lifestyle choice,” James says.

While CrimsonBikes requires a round-trip ride, Hubway riders can return a bike to any station they choose as long as there is available space.