“If there were bikes around campus that you could just rent and go,” he said, “I think a lot of people would use them.”

In 2016, the University of Montana pledged to make that vision a reality. Its Parking and Transportation Demand Management Plan, adopted that year, proposed an ambitious system of rentable bikes and docking kiosks across campus — similar to the bikeshare programs operating in major cities and at other universities.

The goal was simple: make it easier to get around campus without a car. The plan described how a “true bikeshare system” would let students check out a bike from one location and return it at another, connecting far-flung parking lots, transit stops and classrooms. It was intended to help relieve parking congestion, reduce vehicle trips and promote healthy, sustainable mobility.

“We don’t have an office in the middle of the Oval,” she said. “If we did, everybody would know about us. We’re kind of tucked away over here.”

Brown said the department has expanded its fleet to “over 100 bikes” in total — including rentals used in the Car-Free Freshman Pledge, a program that gives students free bike rentals and airport rides if they agree not to bring a car to campus. The team also recently added a second checkout location in the campus parking garage and is trying to increase awareness.