Cyclists can now pump it up in downtown Gainesville.
The Alachua County Emerging Leaders unveiled one of two permanent bicycle pumps during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday between the Hippodrome State Theatre and Boca Fiesta. The other pump is located on the corner of First Avenue and Main Street.
Andrew Romero, the organization’s president, said the pumps would improve the quality of life for an increasing number of Gainesville cyclists.
“One of the things that we’ve discovered is that young professionals are driving their cars less and less every day,” he said.
Depending on the success of the pumps, the organization will consider adding more.
“I think these are one of the first of its kind here in the area,” Romero said, “so this will be an experiment, probably for the city and the community.”
Susan Bottcher, the outgoing District 3 city commissioner, said although the commission wasn’t officially involved, it offered guidance along the way.
“This melts in perfectly with our goals to try to improve the walkability and bike-ability in the urban core,” she said.
Michelle Ibarra, a 19-year-old UF art history freshman, said the organization should consider installing pumps on campus.
“I’ve seen tons of students riding bikes,” she said, “so I think installing them on campus would be really useful and convenient, and they’d get used more.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/8/2014 under the headline "Bikers, get pumped: Air stations now downtown"]
Commissioner Susan Bottcher, second from the left, and residents cut the ribbon at a “first pump” ceremony Monday morning. The event was held because the Alachua County Emerging Leaders, with the help of the City of Gainesville, installed new bike pumps downtown.
