As of this spring, there are now two bikes – a red one named The Flash and a black one named Batman –waiting for you outside the dining center.

The Green Team launched a bike-share project this spring, with $900 of funding from the Parents’ Association. The school and Green Team bought two second-hand bikes, two helmets, and two locks; the rest of the donated money was saved for a maintenance budget. After the Green Team narrowed down the thirty name suggestions from students and teachers – suggestions included super heroes, characters from Frozen, Disney characters, and desserts – the Dana community finally voted for Batman and The Flash.

Students or faculties check the bikes in and out in the library just like checking out laptops or iPads. Denise Ho ’16 and Cheryl Liu ’16 checked out the bikes for the first time for a ride to Starbucks in Wellesley. Denise said, “[Cheryl and I] can get Starbucks and be back in our dorms within ten minutes by riding the bikes. The bikes make my life easier and more efficient.” Cheryl added, “Riding bikes is full of fun too.”

The idea for the bike-share project came from alumna Teresa Wang ’13, the Green Team head in 2012-2013. She and her friends wanted more freedom, flexibility, and the ability to get off campus more easily.

May Dong ’14, one of the co-heads of Green Team, said that this project “is very helpful because many Dana students, like boarders and underclassman, do not have access to cars on campus.” Green Team is interested in reducing the amount people drive, and “personally I think it’s more fun to bike than drive,” May said.

The Green Team believes that bikes are better options than cars for all kinds of environmental reasons. Sam Musher, the advisor of Green Team, says that riding a bike “of course put[s] less pollution into the atmosphere while getting great exercises. Bikes are just awesome.” Ms. Musher “is personally excited to promote the project” because “the more people ride, the more cars and roads start to accommodate bikes, and we become a culture of bikes.”

Photo: The Flash and Batman make their debut on campus. Photo credit: Luceo Wang.