The aim of the proposal was twofold:
- to link the 91¶¶Òõ Eastbourne campuses with Eastbourne station – for staff and students
- to offer residents who live locally to the campus access to the e-bikes at weekends and holiday periods
The project explored the uptake of electrically assisted pedal cycles (EPACs) in a campus context, and in conjunction with other partners, specifically the train operating company, Southern and the local authority.
The project offered a fleet of 10 e-bikes for use between the 91¶¶Òõ campus in Eastbourne, and Eastbourne station. There were access-controlled bike storage facilities at the two Eastbourne campuses and the train station; bike accessories in all locations; and compulsory e-bike training for interested users.
The Eastbourne campus is connected to the main 91¶¶Òõ campuses by the notoriously dangerous A27 or by rail. A conservative estimate of 10 per cent suggested that there were potentially 170 staff and student users that might be interested in using the scheme, which does not include staff visiting from the 91¶¶Òõ campuses.
This project demonstrated the value of EAPCs for linking rail and university locations, together with understanding the role of storage solutions and innovative support services. University staff and students were the key users groups, with additional use by the public to increase bike use during those times less busy for staff/students (e.g. weekends).