'DeisBikes, a free bicycle-renting program for members of the Brandeis community, is planned be operational by Sept. 15, according to Susan Paykin '11, a member of the subcommittee of the Student Union Services Committee that oversees 'DeisBikes. Several changes have been made to the program, including measures aimed to ensure that bikes are returned on time and in good condition and attempts to streamline the renting process. To make sure the program runs smoothly, 'DeisBikes' policies would be enforced much more stringently, Paykin said in an interview with the Justice.

According to its Web site, the program, which began last year, aims to "promote bicycling as desirable means of transportation in a greater effort to strengthen a culture of sustainability on campus." Last year, the program stopped running at the very end of the year, according to Paykin.

'DeisBikes will be funded by the Union Senate, which passed a Senate Money Resolution for $2,000 at a Senate meeting last night. Paykin said that $650 of the total would be used to purchase additional bicycles, $150 would be use to purchase various equipment including tires, tubes and chains, and an additional percentage of the funds would be used to purchase a mechanic's stand for servicing the bicycles.

In a Facebook message to members of the 'DeisBikes group, Paykin wrote "Last semester, we had an excess of problems with people not returning bikes on time, losing items, etc. DeisBikes is a community program, and we need EVERYONE to take responsibility for the well-being of the bikes, helmets, and locks for this to be successful!"

Paykin also said that the 'DeisBikes program had requested financial backing from the Student Union to purchase new bicycles. "[The bikes] will be used again, but they will be a little higher quality, and we are going to make sure that they are in tip-top shape before they go out," she said.

"If students do not return bikes by [11 p.m.] each night ... or if they are missing any parts of the bikes, we will send students an e-mail letting them know that they owe [whatever amount they owe] in fines. After about two weeks, if the student fails to respond, the students in charge of the 'DeisBikes program will report the offending student through the judicial review system, according to Paykin.

Last year, Paykin said, students who wished to rent a bike had to fill out a form at the information booth in the Shapiro Campus Center and the attendant at the desk was required to take down the information and enter it into an online database.

"[To] streamline the checking-out process, it is only going to be a paper sign-out system," Paykin said. Each page in the sign-out binder will correspond to a different bike, and students will be responsible for signing out each bike and filling in their information.

Although the 'DeisBikes program has no way to monitor students riding bicycles at all times, Paykin said that the waiver students sign before renting a bicycle stipulates that they wear a helmet.