Four new bicycle repair stations have been installed along frequently used bike routes in State College with tools for riders to make fixes on the go.
The borough will hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the repair station across from the State College Municipal Building on Allen Street. Other bike repair stations are located at the Orchard Park bike path near Bayberry Drive, Westerly Parkway near Welch Pool and the dead end of Hillcrest Avenue by the bike path.
The repair stations are an expansion of the network of five units installed on the Penn State campus since 2014. The university is planning to install three more on campus this fall, according to a news release from the borough.
The stations house a tool set connected by stainless steel cables with tamper-proof fasteners. The tool sets include Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, headset wrench, pedal wrench, tire levers, a complete set of Allen wrenches and a tire pump. The units are built to be durable and endure all manner of weather. After review of multiple brands by borough staff, Dero Corp’s Fixit units were selected because of easy maintenance, ability to endure weather and ADA compliance.
Arborist and Sustainability Coordinator Alan Sam, the project coordinator for the stations, said the repair stations are part of an ongoing effort in collaboration with the Centre Region to make the State College area more bicycle friendly. The Centre Region Council of Governments member municipalities have been recognized collectively as a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, and planners are hoping to achieve silver-level status in their next application. State College Borough was recently named a Silver Bicycle Friendly Business by the League.
Efforts to obtain the stations began in 2014, with three Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps Americorps Members serving at the borough working on the project. Clay Chiles successfully obtained a Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Lauren Muthler led the PennDOT bid process; and Kelly Doyle reviewed bids and worked with borough staff on installation of the stations.
“We are excited to see these bicycle repair stations finally installed,” Doyle said. “Whether you are new to cycling and have no bicycle repair equipment or simply have a flat tire along your daily ride, these stations will make it easy to perform basic bicycle repairs.”
