A four-student group, the Houston Area Research Team, is working with Metro to increase use of transit by cyclists. One of the biggest stumbling blocks was the on-bus racks, which limited options. Though the team found the racks were not overcrowded – only peak routes seemed to have a high bike-per-bus demand – they sought a solution.

The team turned the rack request over to six freshman engineering students, using Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen.

“Originally we didn’t think it would be all that hard,” team member Annabelle McIntire-Gavlick said. “As we started to get into it, with the conditions, it was more complex.”

via Tackling even the simplest problem takes initiative – Houston Chronicle.