A new service station on the UWindsor campus will improve the commuter experience—but not for motorists. The Fixit station installed Tuesday outside Essex Hall allows bicyclists to make basic repairs and adjustments to their vehicles.
“It removes a barrier for students,” says Josh Psavka, president of the University of Windsor Cyclists Association. “Hopefully, now more people can ride their bikes to school.”
The station, located alongside the covered bike shelter south of the Biology Building, provides hanger arms to suspend a bicycle, as well as a full set of tools and an air pump—everything you need to perform maintenance, from changing a flat tire to adjusting brakes and derailleurs. A QR code attached to the station links to videos providing step-by-step instructions.
The Lancer Green Fund, administered by environmental advocate Paul Henshaw, covered the $1900 cost of the station.
“This is a perfect project for the University’s support,” says Dr. Henshaw, a professor of environmental engineering. “It will encourage cycling, which reduces pollution and improves health.”
He hoisted his own bicycle on the station Tuesday to perform a test run, and marvelled at the screwdrivers, wrenches, hex keys and other tools, securely fastened by steel cables.
“This is an all-in-one solution for faculty and students,” Henshaw says. “It’s another step toward a sustainable campus.”