Free bikes or bike-sharing programs have cropped on college campuses nationwide, aimed at reducing traffic and parking shortages on campus and improving the sense of community, reports the New York Times. When Kylie Galliani started at the University of New England in August, she was given a key to her dorm, a class schedule, and something more unusual: a $480 bicycle. "I was like, ‘A free bike, no catch?’" Galliani, 17, a freshman from Fort Bragg, Calif., asked. "It’s really an ideal way to get around the campus." University administrators and students nationwide are increasingly feeling that way, too. The University of New England and Ripon College in Wisconsin are giving free bikes to freshmen who promise to leave their cars at home. Other colleges are setting up free bike sharing or rental programs, and some universities are partnering with bike shops to offer discounts on purchases…
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