Spring Break
Bicycles benefit many
Adam Himmelberger
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Commentary
The student peddled frenetically, knowing full well class started in one minute. The Buckley to TLS haul for a class he hated was a painful trip, but at least biking made it go by faster.
Sure there was the high probability of getting hit by a student driver barreling down the road at 50 mph while on the cell phone or coming to a complete stop behind a crowd of pedestrians, but it was the only feasible route. The reality is riding a bike during the week on North Eagleville Road requires the agility of a mongoose and the maneuvering skill of Iceman to safely navigate the roads, sidewalks and cars.
I hate being late for classes, walking in while the professor has already started and feeling all eyes upon you while you shuffle distractingly to your seat. And like most freshmen, my first semester schedule was a slew of 8 a.m. classes and back-to-back classes on opposite sides of campus. So almost two years ago, before I came to UConn, I resolved to bring my trusty mountain bike along to cut down on travel time. Most teenagers ditched their bikes in favor of cars and I find it funny now looking back, dusting off my bike and pulling it out of the abyss that was our garage, thinking, "I'm going to college, I'm not 12 anymore." But alas, it proved a godsend my freshman year and got me to five classes in a row Friday mornings that were scattered throughout campus.
In urban areas and on college campuses everywhere, riding a bike is the quickest way to get around. However, this mode of transportation doesn't exactly have the most user-friendly environment here at UConn.
Wednesday, the UConn chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the EcoHusky student group sponsored a support ride for the UConn campus bike plan in hopes of changing that. The event was designed to garner support for the implementation of the cyclist-friendly improvements to the university infrastructure known as the UConn Bike Plan, the design project of three civil engineering students. According to UConn's Office of Environmental Policy's web site, the project's goals are to "demonstrate the demand and need for a bicycling plan for future campus planning" and "work to influence campus planners to consider developing a bike lane on roads, especially on new North Eagleville Road Extension." I should also add that raising the awareness of competition problems between motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians is one of the goals and with all the fantastic student drivers we have here ignoring cross walks and speed limits, I think it is quite necessary.
Sure there was the high probability of getting hit by a student driver barreling down the road at 50 mph while on the cell phone or coming to a complete stop behind a crowd of pedestrians, but it was the only feasible route. The reality is riding a bike during the week on North Eagleville Road requires the agility of a mongoose and the maneuvering skill of Iceman to safely navigate the roads, sidewalks and cars.
I hate being late for classes, walking in while the professor has already started and feeling all eyes upon you while you shuffle distractingly to your seat. And like most freshmen, my first semester schedule was a slew of 8 a.m. classes and back-to-back classes on opposite sides of campus. So almost two years ago, before I came to UConn, I resolved to bring my trusty mountain bike along to cut down on travel time. Most teenagers ditched their bikes in favor of cars and I find it funny now looking back, dusting off my bike and pulling it out of the abyss that was our garage, thinking, "I'm going to college, I'm not 12 anymore." But alas, it proved a godsend my freshman year and got me to five classes in a row Friday mornings that were scattered throughout campus.
In urban areas and on college campuses everywhere, riding a bike is the quickest way to get around. However, this mode of transportation doesn't exactly have the most user-friendly environment here at UConn.
Wednesday, the UConn chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the EcoHusky student group sponsored a support ride for the UConn campus bike plan in hopes of changing that. The event was designed to garner support for the implementation of the cyclist-friendly improvements to the university infrastructure known as the UConn Bike Plan, the design project of three civil engineering students. According to UConn's Office of Environmental Policy's web site, the project's goals are to "demonstrate the demand and need for a bicycling plan for future campus planning" and "work to influence campus planners to consider developing a bike lane on roads, especially on new North Eagleville Road Extension." I should also add that raising the awareness of competition problems between motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians is one of the goals and with all the fantastic student drivers we have here ignoring cross walks and speed limits, I think it is quite necessary.