Bike Share Program

The Harper College Bike Share Program is a transportation initiative meant to encourage folks to bike to campus as an alternative form of transportation, especially in the event that transportation is a barrier. Moreover, the Bike Share Program was also launched to provide additional leisure and physical wellness opportunities to students, employees and surrounding community members. Harper College has partnered with the company, Koloni, to launch the Bike Share Program on campus. 

The Bike Share Program is a bike rental system where individuals can rent a bike from the designated rack (if they are not already in use) and ride the bikes at their leisure. In order to access the bikes and unlock them, individuals will need to download the FREE Koloni app from the App Store or Google Play store using a smart phone, make sure their Bluetooth is on, and follow the instructions on their phones to download the app. The app icon is blue with a white flag in the middle (it should be the first option when you search “Koloni”).

To unlock the bike after downloading the app, users need to:

1. Ensure their Bluetooth is turned on in their smart phone. 

2. Sign up in the app with their phone number or email address (Harper students and employees are encouraged to use their Harper email in order to receive additional hours FREE).

3. Input a credit or debit card information. The users card will not be charged as long as they do not bike over the allotted free hours.

4. Users will then scan the QR code located on the bike in order to unlock a bike that is not currently being used.

5. The bikes will then be unlocked and ready for use! Users can often hear a "click" when the bike has been unlocked. Users can adjust the height of the seat using lever below the bike seat. 

6. Once a user is done using the bike, the user must return the bike to a designated Bike Share Program rack. These rack locations can be found on the Koloni app. 

Harper College has one location for the current available bike racks. The Bike Share Program bike rack is located behind Building D and next to the Parking Garage (facing Kris Howard Dr.), but users can also find or leave the bikes inside the parking garage (facing Kris Howard Dr.), and outside of the Health and Recreation Center (Building M). Users who download the Koloni app can also locate the nearest rack when they open the app.

A Bike Share Program rack is also located in downtown Palatine (Parking Garage near the train station), so that community users have additional options when riding or hopping off at the Palatine Metra station.

The pricing is as follows:

• If you sign up with a Harper College email address, the first 2 hours are FREE and then it is $1/hour afterwards.
• If you do not have a Harper College email address, the first 1 hour is FREE and then it is $2/hour afterwards.
• There is also the option to pay $15 for a membership for 365/yr. days after purchase. Riders can ride the bikes up to 4 hours free and then the standard $2/hour afterwards with this option. 

Koloni provides a pause feature on the app in the event the rider is done riding for the moment, but not the day, and wants to ensure a bike will be there for them when they are complete with their present activity. For example, if someone rides a Koloni bike to get groceries, they would pause their ride to go into the store and then resume their ride when they leave the store. Pausing the ride also removes the availability of that specific bike, meaning no one can take it from the current rider if the pause feature is enabled.

Currently, the Harper College location has 5 bikes available. However, users should be aware that there is no guarantee that the bikes will be available at all times if another user(s) has already rented a bike(s). 

There are bike helmets located at the front desk available for rent in Building M (Health and Recreation Center), so all you have to do is scan your student ID and the helmet is yours for as long as six months! (There will be a fee for damaged or helmets that are not returned). Harper employees can also rent the helmets for free as well! It’s important to practice safer biking by wearing a helmet each time you get on.

There are no reservations available for the bikes as they are on a first come, first serve basis. However, users can see how many bikes are available to rent by opening the Koloni app on their smart phone.

• Remember to ride a bike that fits you because it will be easier to control. The Bike Share Program bikes have an adjustable seat to make it the right fit for you!
• Be sure to check that the bike is working properly. This includes: working brakes - front and back, functional steering, properly moving pedals, etc.
• If you are planning on riding on or near a street or busy road, be sure to ride with the flow of traffic, as well as wear bright colors and the proper equipment to ensure traffic can see you.
• Make sure you are obeying street signs, just as you would in a car.
• Always assume the people around you, especially in cars, can't see you, and look ahead for hazards.
• Refrain from texting or listening to music, which can distract you from safely cycling.
• Be sure to slow down when approaching intersections, driveways, parking lots, etc.
• Always watch for pedestrians!

To make the most of your ride while using the Bike Share Program, there are two additional stations on campus to pick up or leave a bike. Users can find these additional bike rack stations inside the parking garage facing Kris Howard Dr. and outside of the Health and Recreation Center (Building M). Users can locate these stations on the Koloni app, as well. 

Yes! Even though there are designated bike racks to leave the Bike Share bikes at, it does not prohibit an individual from leaving their personal bike at any of the bike racks on campus.

• Starting from the Palatine Train Station, you will want to begin your ride going south on Smith Street, and then turn right onto Wilson Street, heading west.
• Once you hit the crossroads between Wilson Street and Cedar Street, you will want to turn left onto Cedar Street and continue south, crossing over Palatine Road.
• Now in the neighborhood, after maintaining a southern path on Cedar Street, you will hit West Dorset Avenue - take a right onto West Dorset Avenue.
• At the end of Dorset Avenue, you will want to turn onto South Elm Street and make sure to cross Illinois Avenue as you continue to where Elm Street turns into Peregrine Drive by turning right.
• Turning right on Peregrine Drive will lead you out to Quentin Road, which you will follow up to Euclid Avenue after passing the True Value hardware store on your left.
• At the intersection, SAFELY cross Euclid Avenue, and then cross Quentin Road, so you are in front of the Walgreens on the corner.
• Once in front of Walgreens, follow Euclid Avenue down to the stop light at the Euclid entrance of Harper College - turn left to get into the college vacinities.
• Follow Kris Howard Drive, the road you are on after you made the left at the light, until you hit the first building (the back of Building D) and the parking garage. There you will find the Bike Share bike rack to park your bike and pause or end your ride.