Gopher Bikes Program Wins 2025 Apex Award
We're excited to announce that our Gopher Bikes program has been recognized with the 2025 Apex Award for Innovation!
Our Gopher Bikes program has won the 2025 Apex Award for Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program from the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI).
About Gopher Bikes
Launched in the 2023-2024 academic year, Gopher Bikes offers University of Minnesota students free long-term bike loans and daily rentals. The program repurposes 280 bicycles from a discontinued bike share service, providing a sustainable and cost-free transportation option. This initiative addresses the transportation challenges faced by students, especially international and out-of-state students.
Through partnerships with International Student and Scholar Services and Housing & Residential Life, Gopher Bikes has made bikes easily accessible where students live. In its first year, the program has seen high demand, with 150 bikes in circulation and a waitlist, inspiring similar initiatives at our Morris and Duluth campuses.
Innovation and impact
Gopher Bikes stands out for its innovative reuse of bicycles, minimizing startup costs and reducing waste. The program integrates bike rentals into residence hall services, ensuring equity and affordability without income verification.
The program promotes physical health, sustainability, and equitable access to transportation, positively impacting students' academic success and wellbeing.
Recognition
“The 2025 Awards of Excellence winners set a new standard for excellence in our industry,” said IPMI CEO Shawn D. Conrad, CAE. “Their dedication to innovation, efficiency, and a customer-focused experience highlights the best of parking and mobility today.”
The 2025 award winners, including Gopher Bikes, will be featured in the June issue of Parking & Mobility magazine and honored at the 2025 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, June 8-11 in Louisville, KY.