Ideas turned reality all within the calendar year. Students from area high schools participated in the University of Evansville “Changemaker Challenge”  designed to motivate young adults to address community issues through innovative solutions.

A major idea coming from the competition was the concept of a shared bike program. Students from both Memorial High School as well as Central High School proposed the idea. City leaders listened and began working in partnership with students to turn the idea into reality, “To see this program become what it has in less than a year it’s just amazing. It started out at least for our high school teams as scribbles on a piece of paper and now we have stations all throughout Evansville,” said UE freshman Mason Mobley who participated on Central High School’s Changemaker Challenge team.

The bike vendor “Zagster” and Evansville Area Trails Coalition entered into a three year agreement to provide area residents with the shared form of transportation.

Accessing a bike is as easy as registering on your smart phone and making a payment.  Zagster then sends the consumer a code, that is entered into a box on the back of the bike. The box opens with a key that allows a bike to be unlocked and ready to ride.

18 different community organizations came together to make this happen, “I think it really speaks to the direction in which Evansville is moving and so when you say there’s an idea that came up and some people say,’”It’s hard to get ideas to actually come to fruition here,”‘ I think we proved the opposite of that. There was an idea that was a concept and now it’s alive and it’s breathing,” said Darrin Lander with Evansville Area Trails Coalition.

“Zagster” offers several different membership options. An annual membership is a one time $60 fee breaking down to five dollars a month — the most economical option. Seven different share stations are set up in the community — bikes can be picked up at one location and returned to another.

Participants do have agree to the terms and conditions before using the bikes. Zagster provides insurance to all riders through the rental agreement.

In 1940, Republicans were anxious to thwart Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s election to an unprecedented third term as U. S. president. War had recently broken out in Europe, and Wendell Willkie’s criticism of the nation’s isolationist policies helped propel him to the presidential nomination on the Republican ticket. The native Hoosier campaigned in Evansville on October 17, riding in a motorcade that began at the train station on Fulton Avenue, winding along Main Street up to Bosse Field. Willkie is seen here standing in the car at left while passing a bar at 1200 N. Main. An estimated 50,000 excited onlookers witnessed the procession, and although he carried Indiana on election day, Willkie lost his bid in an electoral landslide.

FOOTNOTES: We want to thank Patricia Sides, Archivist of Willard Library for contributing this picture that shall increase people’s awareness and appreciation of Evansville’s rich history. If you have any historical pictures of Vanderburgh County or Evansville please contact please contact Patricia Sides, Archivist Willard Library at 812) 425-4309, ext. 114 or e-mail her at www.willard.lib.in.us.

70 Bikes Available for Public Use at Seven Locations Across Evansville

City officials and representatives from numerous area organizations launched a city-wide bike sharing program today, called Upgrade Bike Share, at a press conference on the University of Evansville campus.

Beginning immediately, 70 cruiser bikes are available at seven stations across Evansville for members to use on demand. Anyone over the age of 18 can ride by purchasing a day pass or by enrolling in a monthly or annual membership. Rides for members are free for up to one hour, then three dollars per hour after that.

Locations are as follows: University of Evansville campus, North Main Street, West Franklin Street, Downtown YMCA, Downtown Pagoda at the Evansville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Haynie’s Corner Arts District, and the Deaconess Sports Park on North Green River Road.

Evansville mayor Lloyd Winnecke; University of Evansville president Thomas Kazee; Welborn Baptist CEO and executive director Kevin Bain; Don Jones, Evansville Area Trails Coalition president and UE’s vice president for marketing and communications; Darin Lander, Evansville Area Trails Coalition board member; and Angela Reisetter, Changemaker Challenge Team Coach all addressed the press conference crowd.

In attendance were members of the Changemaker Challenge teams from the University of Evansville, Memorial High School, and Central High School. The Changemaker Challenge is dedicated to launching the world’s next wave of social entrepreneurs and innovators. The competition, put on by the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana at UE, began at the college level with UE students and was opened up to area high schools last year. The teams from Central and Memorial High Schools both proposed a bike sharing project separately and have since worked together on the project.

“The installation and launch of this program marks the culmination of a collaborative effort between an impressive network of individuals committed to the progress of Evansville,” said Winnecke. “High school students, college students, and leaders from city organizations large and small are all on the forefront of making ideas happen, and I continue to be inspired by how great Evansville is and can be.”

The Upgrade Bike Share program is fully funded by local sponsors including Deaconess Health System, St. Mary’s Health System, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development, Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Welborn Baptist Foundation, and Meritain Health.

A representative from Zagster, the company providing the bike share system, was also in attendance.

This initial network of seven stations and 70 bikes is expected to grow in the coming years. To become a member or for more information including a map of the stations, please visit http://bike.zagster.com/upgrade