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CU: Stop locking bikes to handrails
University leaders glad about record cycling, but urging courtesy
Photo by Zak Wood
University of Colorado sophomore Nicholas Hrvatin rides his skateboard past bikes parked illegally on a safety and access railing Tuesday on the CU campus.
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University of Colorado leaders — who say they’re pleased students are cycling to the campus in record numbers — are now asking that riders stop locking their bikes to handrails because it sets up dangerous obstacles for senior faculty members.
John Cooper, a retired physics professor who is on the Boulder Faculty Assembly executive panel, raised the issue at a meeting this week, saying it makes it hard for his colleagues to move safely about the campus.
Bikes are becoming like barnacles on the handrails that lead up to buildings and the bike path railings around the campus. Though it’s a code violation, officials aren’t ticketing cyclists, instead taking a softer approach.
In the latest campus newsletter, Vice Chancellor Frank Bruno asked students and employees to be more considerate.
“As a campus, we support those who ride their bikes and we have plans in place to install more bike racks in the coming months,” Bruno wrote. “But in the meantime, we will all be better off if we exercise a bit more care and consideration and keep in mind those among us who need to use the handrails to make their way in and out of our buildings.”
The newsletter also urges caution in crosswalks and asks those on the campus to stop smoking near building entrances and windows.
Campus officials say there’s been a 20 percent increase over the past year in the number of students commuting to CU by bike. About 18 percent of CU’s more than 30,000 students report that biking is their primary mode of transportation to the campus, according to a CU Environmental Center survey.
CU is spending $300,000 on new bike racks this year — a tab being split between Parking and Transportation Services and the Environmental Center.
Richelle Reilly, campus landscape architect, said the university has added 596 spaces so far to deal with the extra bike traffic. There will be another 390 added in the spring, she said.
“The campus is totally dedicated to alternative transportation,” Reilly said. “We don’t want to discourage people from bringing bikes.”
Dave Newport, director of the Environmental Center, said CU is adding 50 bikes to its fleet, doubling the number of rental rides available to students for $20 a semester. The center is also expanding its bike-service stations.
Campus planners, as they make room for more bikes, are aware of bad parking habits, Newport said.
“There are some constants that we have to be mindful of,” he said. “The bike racks have to be 50 feet away from a building. If they are 75 feet, students will clip their bikes to a tree that’s closer.”
Problem spots are nearby the University Memorial Center, engineering center, business school and Muenzinger Auditorium, Newport said.
Posted by mcmann on December 2, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Perhaps the ones making the decisions on where all the new bike racks are going should spend a little more time looking at where all these bikes are being locked to fences, railings, trees, signposts, etc. The only place I've seen new racks being put in didn't have any bike parking problem to begin with.
Posted by wewantfun on December 2, 2008 at 8:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Inded, mcmann! in addition, could they please install the bike racks before demanding we use them? just a thought.
Posted by meatpieandtatters on December 2, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Stop whining and fix the problem. Oh, I forgot. Schools only teach from books. They don't teach problem solving.
Posted by NukesInBoulder on December 2, 2008 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is absolutely breathtaking that CU leaders are so out of touch with reality that they actually think this is a problem worthy of time and attention.
We need to layoff everyone mentioned in the article ASAP to start saving money when the budget cuts eventually come.
Posted by Danimal on December 2, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"The center is also expanding its bike-service stations."
Interesting. The other day I had a minor mechanical problem and figured it was during open hours, so I brought my bicycle to the bike station. No one was there, and there was a sign posted saying that they were "closed for the winter". Unbelievable! Classes are still in session... and they are closed. And, one must wonder, for how long. It is not like they are operating a soft-serv ice cream stand. For some of us, bikes are our only mode of transportation. And, for years, in Boulder I have seen people on bicycles when it's 14 below and there's a foot of snow on the ground. I don't see how they can be actively expanding a service that they have closed down!
Posted by cbskis on December 2, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Look at Libby: there is almost nowhere to park a bike on either side of the building except a handrail. Perhaps they wouldnt have bikes lining the handrails on the Folsom side if they put a few of the new racks they installed by Duane (which replaced, by the way, perfectly usable racks) or the Engineering Center closer to Libby (where there is a popular dining center) they would have less of an issue.
Seriously, if this is what the "Faculty Assembly executive panel" is discussing at their meetings, they need to take a good look at their priorities. Before we make sure [retired] professors can get around campus, why not take twenty minutes to talk about why a girl can't walk home by herself anymore and brainstorm a solution or two.
Posted by Bigair on December 3, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh come on, if you are too old to walk without a hand rail and to dumb to not have a cane you shouldn't be on a college campus but the old folk’s home.
Posted by sidd on December 3, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Collage students can walk without handrails they are there to protect the grass and landscaping and if you lock your bike to them they could fail to protect the grass and landscaping.
Posted by Manioca35 on December 3, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where, pray tell SHOULD we lock our bikes if there are not enough "official" bike racks? How about blaming the University for not rapidly addressing the problem rather than blaming the students who have no alternative?
Posted by ziggle on December 3, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why do the bike racks need to be 50' away from the building? And doesn't it seem a little ridiculous that CU is telling students that they'll fix the problem (or some of it) this spring? What's wrong with right now? It isn't as if a bike rack is some complicated construction project.
The UMC, Libby, and the Engineering Center are pretty obvious areas where the problem needs to be addressed now, not this spring. Why not commit to fixing it over winter break?
Maybe they can redirect some of the money from the ridiculous "rebranding" effort into making the campus actually workable for bike riders.
Posted by rhinolips on December 3, 2008 at 8:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I bike to CU every day and would never use a handrail to lock to, I watch the elderly and handicap try to navigate and it's sad to watch. Almost as sad as some of the comments on here. Elderly people don't belong on a campus, do handicaps? Bike to school and complain about a 50 ft walk from the rack? You find parking on Pearl St without using the sidewalk and handicap spots. Keep slouching towards Gomorrah.
Posted by connie on December 3, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you rhinolips - your's is about the only decent comment so far.
There seems to be a lot of rude people in the current crop of CU students. If you are young and healthy enough to bike to school you can park your bike at an official rack and walk a bit - 50-100' just isn't all that far for someone with two good legs. For the folks who can't walk very well, the handrails are a safety requirement. I hope the campus police start ticketing all the bicycles that are illegally parked. Sometimes trying the soft approach with rude people just doesn't work.
Posted by Steph on December 3, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The blame rests solely on CU's Parking and Transportation Services. Back in 2006 the maintenance section was working on updating old racks (like the wave racks) to the new CORA racks and planned on adding more racks with the help of the Environmental Center. A whole proposal was put together. Unfortunately at the time it was not viewed as a priority and with the changing of the guard the project got pushed to the bottom of the pile. It's sad now watching this department struggle to play catch up. I don't expect them to move fast on this project so the handrail problem is going to be around for awhile.
Posted by sfld1 on December 3, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
if everyone drove this wouldnt be a problem
Posted by Doc_Brinkley on December 3, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Old Doc has the solution for these arrogant, self-centered bicyclists: The Pedestrian Vigilance Committee, volunteers armed with icepicks to flatten the tires on every bicycle chained to a handrail.
Or, CU authorities might start enforcing the rules for a change.
Posted by marlboroman on December 3, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Elderly faculty have no business riding their
bicycles down the handrails. They have clearly
been watching too much X-Games.
Posted by jafi on December 3, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Everything old is new again. 20 years ago there were bike parking problems at the engineering center, particularly between the e-center and b-school side.
@ Connie.
Not sure about now, but at that time you could go 50' - 100' feet away and not find any bike parking. The issue was not enough bike racks period not that there weren't enough close racks.
Posted by Manioca35 on December 3, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The problem is NOT that there are plentiful bike racks 50 feet from buildings that CU students are "too lazy" to walk from. The problem is that there are not enough bike racks ANYWHERE on campus, 50, 100 or more feet from any buildings. What bike racks are you talking about rhinolips? If they are anywhere remotely close to my building, I'll use 'em. Connie - do you spend time at CU? From your comments you either do not, or haven't actually taken a look at the rack situation. For a school that so desperately wants to be "green" it's a pretty ridiculous situation.
Posted by lindseyjoe on December 3, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hate to actually be rational here, but something's not right.
You can purchase "wave" style bike racks like this one (21 spots) for under $1000.
http://www.theparkcatalog.com/items.a...
So if they're installing roughly 1,000 spots at the listed price of $950 for the nice powder-coated version, that'd be about $45,000 in the racks themselves. Freight delivery is estimated at another $8,500. I confess I don't know what installing these guys would cost, but even at $1,000 per rack, we're nowhere near $300K.
Just install the racks, in places where people will actually use them, and start ticketing people who lock them to handrails. And audit the Parking Services division to see how it's coming up with an extra $180,000 in costs related to this...
Posted by cjonescu on December 3, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Has anyone ever actually seen an older adult using the railings along the sidewalks on campus? I can understand the need for unobstructed railings on stairs, but pathways? Come on...if you're so frail that you can't walk on a flat surface without a hand rail perhaps you should consider a walker, cane or other personal mobility device. The purpose of the railings along the pathways is more related to controlling pedestrian flow in order to protect the precious grass than it is to assisting the elderly. Sounds to me like a solution looking for a problem.
Posted by andrusj on December 3, 2008 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Simply put even with the increase, there still wont be enough Bike Racks.
Posted by moresmilesplease on December 3, 2008 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The biggest problem, pointed out by lindeyjoe, is the bureaucracy of the CU system. Everything costs 4 times as much as it should. And it takes forever to get implemented. And they pay slave wages to students getting to work at 5:30 or 6am to install the things (that's parking services).
Seriously, what is the price tag on this 'rebranding' effort? And I'm still confused on where that much money actually goes, and what it actually does for anyone. Listen, invest in the students that have already chosen this school, invest in the programs in place, invest in the school, not some nebulous cause to make outsiders like our image more. Quietly make the actual school better, and the 'brand' will be more appealing to future students and faculty.
Posted by backrange on December 3, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If it saves just one old professor, it's worth the cost.
Posted by gluther on December 3, 2008 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i thought the handrails were really for keeping people from cutting across the grass.
Posted by Ibbits on December 3, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Might an interim solution (until the new, overpriced racks are in place)be to ask students to lock their bikes on the outside of the rail? It would keep the rail accessible for those who need it, and would demonstrate that CU is genuinely concerned about riders' parking challenges.
Posted by Old_Ben_Kenobi on December 3, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ob-stackles!
"But first... first you must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril. Mm-hmm. You shall see thangs, wonderful to tell. And, oh, so many startlements. I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the obstacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation."
Posted by jafi on December 3, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There can also be a logistic issue here as well.
While I tried very hard to avoid it, there were semesters where I had back to back classes on different sides of campuses. You only have 10 minutes between classes.
Biking from one side of campus to the other (around the outside perimeter since you have to dismount in the core of campus) would get you there in time, but having to rack your bike a long way from the building your class was in would end up making you late. This on top of the lack of campus clock synchronization, instructors who would continue lecturing past the end of the class -- etc.
Posted by Robert_Paul_Smoke on December 3, 2008 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
one automobile parking space costs upwards of 20k --
look it up -- for 20k, you could install bike parking for ...uhm...200 bikes?
no one thinks about issues like this because there's substantially no graft to be obtained when putting in bike racks -- whereas construction projects running into the millions for cars that people increasingly want to NOT drive have opportunities for dollar 'leakage' that administrators really appreciate --
thus...you shall have no bike racks until disaster sets in and we can convert the whole idea into a million-dollar project with plenty of dollar leakage
Posted by Dunkterfunk on December 3, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Am I the only one who thinks 300k is a ridiculous amount for bike racks? I mean, it is simply welded metal.
Posted by pop5678eye on December 3, 2008 at 7:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bikers in Boulder think that their bike gives them a license to ignore ALL traffic laws. They switch freely between sidewalks (where they are legally required to keep a slower speed) and roads (where they are required to obey lane rules and stop-signs) while ignoring the rules for both. Most of them don't wear helmets or post a light, and NONE of them signal turns. (in case you don't know what turn signaling is for bikes you REALLY shouldn't be riding one on the road)
That being said, CU is a shortsighted, messed up business who would rather keep building multi-million dollar parking lots than bike-racks they could get much cheaper. On taxpayer and alumni money too. Just one of the dozens of reasons why I refuse to answer the alumni mailings from them.
Posted by pop5678eye on December 3, 2008 at 7:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, and by the way, did you know that legally (yes, I asked the police) the legal alcohol limit for biking is EXACTLY the SAME as for driving? That's exactly because all you bikers keep riding your bikes on our roads late at night, without light, at car speeds, cutting us off without signaling your turns, and then drunkardly flipping the bird at us when we honk at you, reminding you of your irresponsibility!
Posted by tee on December 3, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Idiots.
More bike racks.
Duh.
Posted by HopefulandHappyNative on December 3, 2008 at 9:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
10 years ago CU actually did ticket if you locked your bike to hand rails or at the least they left a yellow warning note. There are lots of racks on campus, but not always where you want them; on the other hand, any rack on campus sure is more convenient than a car park off campus! Stop whining and park your bike in a proper spot.
And, not everyone who needs a hand rail is senior. My mom hurt her knee last year and was on crutches for a bit and she used rails to go up stairs into buildings on campus. I am sure that there are lots of students, not just faculty in similar situations.
Posted by pop5678eye on December 3, 2008 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Amen, 'Hopeful!'
Especially ON CU campus the vast majority of people using handrails are NOT seniors. They are the CU students themselves Just remember that the next time you DARE put your hand on a handrail on CU campus!
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