Biking just got a little bit easier on the west side of campus.

A new bike repair station was installed near the University of Iowa College of Law on Feb. 26. The station is equipped with several tools for fixing brakes or chains on bikes, and an air pump to fill tires.

Joe Nehring, a member of the student government in the College of Law, said he initially came up with the idea. He worked with UI Parking and Transportation to arrange a 50-50 cost share of the station, which costs about $1,100.

“It’s only been installed for a few weeks, but a lot of students have commented on it, and said it was a great idea and they really like it,” Nehring said.

This is the third bike repair station on campus, and UI Parking and Transportation commuter programs manager Michelle Ridder said she hopes there will be more soon.

“This is just part of our effort to support biking as a transportation option,” Ridder said. “At Parking and Transportation, we’re looking for ways to reduce parking demand and biking is certainly a part of that, so hopefully having another bike station will keep people biking, even though the winter months.”

Ridder said the location by the College of Law is not as ideal as the other two stations, which were installed in 2013. One station is located by the main library on the East side of campus, and the other is near the UI hospital, in the bike garage in Parking Ramp No. 4, because the College of Law was willing to share the cost, Ridder said, they were able to put a station in a more isolated area.

“I think that might be a model for the future, if locations would only serve one part of the community, we would see if people would partner with us on the cost,” she said.

Ridder said she is looking into getting a station by the College of Medicine and by the residence halls. She said she believes students are discouraged from bringing and riding their bikes on campus because they do not have the tools to maintain them.

UI Office of Sustainability intern Andrew Hirst is part of an initiative to work with the UI Student Government to bring more of these stations to campus. He said many graduate students bike to class, making the location by the College of Law is a good place for a station.

“Graduate students bike more, and having one on the west side for grad students encourages bike safety and ridership and that will make trips back and forth to the west side easier.”