September 26, 2016
Kyle Guthrie
UCCS is implementing safety precautions for bicyclists, including sufficient bike racks in addition to recent parking-related construction projects.
Right now, there are over 250 bike racks available to students on campus, according to the UCCS website. Bike racks have been added as popup construction projects over time.
“A lot of the bike racks that we have added over the last three years have been part of construction projects. For example, Alpine Village has added all kinds of new bike racks,” said Jim Spice, executive director of Parking and Transportation Services.
From Columbine Hall to University Hall there are also eight bike lockers, according to Spice.
Students can rent a bike locker through Parking and Transportation Services by paying either a semester or year-long fee.
UCCS also hopes to connect campus and city trails and the Campus Bike Advisory Committee. The committee is a group of students dedicated to make enough bike racks for student use and to ensure that biking routes are safe.
Sharrows, originally created by the city of Colorado Springs, are on campus roads and parking lots, including Lot 224.
These are green arrows outlined in white, which were created with bicyclists in mind. The improved safety precautions, including the sharrow program, serve to protect bicyclists and encourage drivers to be safe, according to Spice.
“The first (reason for the sharrow program) is to let bicyclists know the route to take, and the second is safety, to alert drivers of bicyclists,” said Spice.
“I think the program has been successful at letting bicyclists know about the correct route and letting drivers know about the cyclists.”