Spring Break
Bicycles benefit many
Adam Himmelberger
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Commentary
A large campus like ours, with such high volume traffic congested in such a small area, warrants this consideration. The results of a survey taken last year by ITE project members were presented to the building and grounds committee in January and highlighted this growing interest. Possible ways offered by the survey to encourage bicycling and a safer means to do it on campus include developing a bike network consisting of roads, paths and lanes for bikes, the addition of numerous bike racks closer to buildings, overnight commuter storage and "free bike" loan programs. Out of the 2,105 respondents, a majority of them supported these improvements, all of which would greatly benefit the biker community. The survey showed if these improvements were made it would also encourage more people to take to their two wheels for traveling.
Currently the few bike racks near CLAS and the MSB area are insufficient and often overcrowded, as are most bike racks near dorms. Buckley is one of the few places on campus where students are able to lock their bikes up indoors and keep their investments protected from the elements. In addition to the betterment of present conditions for cyclists, there are a host of reasons why everyone should be on board for this plan.
First and most importantly, bikes provide an alternate mode of transportation to automobiles and coincidently cut down on traffic and energy consumption. With an oncoming oil crunch and gas prices skyrocketing, isn't it worthwhile for surrounding off-campus residents to bike to classes? So you sacrifice a few minutes of travel time, but you don't have to put up with parking tickets or the pains of parking at all for that matter. The other factor to take into consideration is exercise. Your workout for the day is complete and you managed to get somewhere in the process - talk about maximum efficiency. As a result of a greater number of people riding their bikes, we have reduced traffic, tackled obesity in America and solved the energy crisis. What next? Peace in the Middle East through mutual love of 10-speeds, baseball cards in spokes and the sound of bicycle bells? You could say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
Currently the few bike racks near CLAS and the MSB area are insufficient and often overcrowded, as are most bike racks near dorms. Buckley is one of the few places on campus where students are able to lock their bikes up indoors and keep their investments protected from the elements. In addition to the betterment of present conditions for cyclists, there are a host of reasons why everyone should be on board for this plan.
First and most importantly, bikes provide an alternate mode of transportation to automobiles and coincidently cut down on traffic and energy consumption. With an oncoming oil crunch and gas prices skyrocketing, isn't it worthwhile for surrounding off-campus residents to bike to classes? So you sacrifice a few minutes of travel time, but you don't have to put up with parking tickets or the pains of parking at all for that matter. The other factor to take into consideration is exercise. Your workout for the day is complete and you managed to get somewhere in the process - talk about maximum efficiency. As a result of a greater number of people riding their bikes, we have reduced traffic, tackled obesity in America and solved the energy crisis. What next? Peace in the Middle East through mutual love of 10-speeds, baseball cards in spokes and the sound of bicycle bells? You could say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.