Ten minutes. That’s all the time students have in between their classes. 

When classes are across campus, how are they supposed to make it in time?

A new pilot program for e-bikes and scooters was introduced to Oregon State University on Aug. 9.

The school is partnering with micromobility company Veo to add shared bikes and scooters across campus.

The program is meant to be an easy and affordable transportation option that is available for everyone on the OSU campus and was implemented as a result of student interest, according to Sarah Bronstein, OSU’s sustainable transportation manager.

“The idea for bike and scooter sharing on campus initially came from students,” Bronstein said. “We heard from ASOSU representatives back in 2022 that that was something they were interested in pursuing as a project and they wanted to partner with us.”

It is starting out as a one-year pilot project and will be available until summer 2025. However, it is possible that OSU will continue with Veo if it works well, with a longer contract, according to Bronstein.

The new scooters and bikes work by installing the Veo app, and scanning the QR code on them, where they can then be reserved for any period of time. Money must be pre-loaded onto the account first, with a $10 minimum amount to start with. 

For scooters, one dollar is charged to unlock the rides, and then there is a 39 cent per minute charge during each following ride. For bikes, the price is one dollar total for a 30 minute ride.

This new transportation option was put in place to create a new affordable and convenient option for those who don’t have one, to accommodate those with mobility issues and to prevent challenges with theft of peoples’ own bikes or scooters, according to Bronstein.