As a part of Stony Brook University’s commitment to sustainability, the Environmental Stewardship Office is launching a bike share program to begin its first trial run next week.

The idea is to have about 25 bikes available for students in the program chained at various racks. Students will have a universal key and access to any bike at any given time. Participants will pay a $15 sign-up fee and a $15 key and helmet deposit.

“We have three main goals,” said Amy Provenzano of the Environmental Science Department. Provenzano, who organized and coordinated the entire project, said that she would like to see students reducing their carbon emissions by not driving on campus, commuting by bike from South P instead of taking the bus and biking to promote physical fitness.

So far, the program has only been marketed at Earth Stock and via mass-email from the Dr. Susan DiMonda, director of Student Life. Provenzano said the interest exceeded anything she and her team anticipated. So far, there are 26 students interested for summer and fall semesters, 12 interested in only summer, and 43 only interested in fall.

“It’s a pilot program, so we want to see how it goes,” she said. “We want to start small, get all the kinks out and make sure the program is sustainable.”

Interest forms can be filled out through the Stony Brook University Bike Share Program webpage, which also contains details of fees, frequently asked questions and goals for the future.

Though Provenzano has only heard a positive response from students, some remain skeptical about whether or not the program is actually worthwhile.

“I feel like it’s one of those things that’s good in theory, but won’t work,” said Deanna Someria, a 20-year-old psychology major. “Here, people that want to bike already have their own and [at Stony Brook] everyone basically does their own thing to figure it out.”

Twenty-five bikes will be distributed to interested students next week. “We are so very, very excited,” Provenzano said.