"Dero Zap" could encourage bike riding in Decorah

A group of Luther College volunteers is studying a new system that could promote bike riding in Decorah.

"Dero ZAP" is an automated hardware and software system that records bike traffic--which helps to grow bike commuting.

Being studied is a proposal to install radio-frequency ID units on bike wheels of Luther students, faculty and staff, as well as on the wheels of Decorah volunteers.  Scan machines would be posted at four or five locations in Decorah to record passing bike traffic.  Participants then would get digital readouts of how much bike riding they had done and could receive incentives for hitting certain mileage marks.

The system could be operational next spring or summer.