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Sunday, January 06, 2008

San Diego: Push for bikes on campus

San Diego State University campus
From the San Diego Union-Tribune, 01.06.08:

SDSU groups press for more cycle paths
Students at San Diego State are fed up with a no-bicycling policy on campus. Biking is a main mode of transportation for many college students. It's a green mode of transportation. And most days, San Diego offers near-perfect weather for bike travel.

But at SDSU, bikes must be walked on most of the campus. Riders can pedal only along the perimeter and on a service road that goes partially through the grounds. Many say it can be a hike from one end of the 270-acre campus to the other. Campus police enforce the no-biking rule with tickets.

A group of students that is trying to get more green initiatives going at the university is taking on the policy. The group wants to reverse it and is advocating for bike paths.

"This is such an issue that every student is aware of on campus," said Justin Motika, a student vice president who will head up the "Green Love" student government campaign that includes a push for reversing the bike-riding ban. "San Diego is the type of environment where people ride their bikes." (Read more.)
As an employee at UC Davis--arguably the most bicycling intensive university campus in the U.S.--I can attest that bicyclists and pedestrians can mix. Perhaps the most offensive argument against greater bike access to the SDSU campus in this article is the assertion by a campus spokesman that some bicyclists "come on campus doing bike tricks and stunts where they're jumping off benches and gliding down handrails."

Uh huh. And some motorists pretend they're Grand Prix drivers and operate recklessly. Let's ban cars! Ridiculous.

Image: Web capture. San Diego State University campus. No room for bikes?
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips

1 comment:

Punish for being Poor said...

I discovered that if you ride a bike on campus you get pursued by a motorcycle cop at 30 mph through a crowded walkway full of pedistrians. How unsafe is that ? How retarded is that. Not o.k. for bikes but motorcycles are allowed ? Then a cop car drove on the crowded pedistrian walkway to assist in this major crime of 'riding a bike on campus'. Even with the largest budget of any state college, biously SDSU Admin isn't capable of running their college like other colleges. Skateboarding is not a crime though. In addition, if you are a male riding a womens bike you will be attacked by the college cops with "bike thief' accusations & lies. What a nightmare ! SDSU is a mess.