By Deanna Tran
Additional bicycle racks on the University of Louisville Belknap campus will be installed by spring 2007, said Vice President for Business Affairs Larry Owsley. The decision came after the Student Government Association met with Owsley to discuss ongoing complaints made by students regarding the lack of bicycle racks on campus.
According to SGA Service Vice President Justin Tooley, Owsley and SGA reached an agreement on Nov. 1 that U of L will install new bicycle racks in areas that SGA will identify as in need of further installation.
Owsley said U of L will seek external funding for this project even though the projected costs of installation and purchase of new bicycle racks has not yet been determined. The costs will be calculated based upon the number of bicycle racks SGA requests.
Owsley said SGA has neither officially determined the amount of bicycle racks needed, nor identified the areas needing additional bicycle racks.
However, the information will be published in an SGA-conducted review that is to be submitted to the university.
Arts and Science Senator Kate Brueggemann, a junior political science major, who sponsored the senate resolution responsible for initiating this project, said she became aware of the shortage of bike racks when the Department of Housing forwarded to her complaints made by their disabled student residents.
Brueggemann said disabled students were not able to reach the entrances of their dormitories without encountering bicycles chained to unconventional spots, such as the railings of handicapped ramps and entrance doors.
Freshman political science major Ally Bruener who is confined to a wheelchair said she has come across difficulties using ramps due to so many bicycles.
Bruener said she has experienced trouble reaching wheelchair accessible push buttons because of students chaining their bicycles to the stands of those buttons.
Brueggemann said overcrowded bicycle racks have forced bicyclists to use anything available, such as handicapped stands, benches, light posts, and railings as alternatives for bike racks.
“It’s dangerous,” said Brueggemann. “It obstructs the entrances of buildings, signs of buildings, ramps for the disabled, places for students to sit and walk.”
“Most of the time, I can a find a spot for my bike,” said sophomore Joel Deckard, a resident of Old Louisville, “but when racks get full, I sometimes have to chain my bike to a bench or a post.”
Justin Wells, a biology graduate student, said the shortage of bicycle racks is “not a terrible problem.” Yet he has noticed that new signs prohibiting bicycles are being posted and painted on railings and benches.
“When they hook them to benches, it’s so annoying because then I have nowhere to sit,” said senior English major Katie Graham. She said the bicycle issue supplements the parking issue, “Finding places to park is becoming nearly impossible, and some permit parkers will also bring bikes to school just to ensure punctuality.”
Brueggeman cited rising gas prices and diminishing student parking as reasons why more students choose to bike to class this year.
Deckard said he would like to see more bicycle racks installed near the Education Building. Graham emphasized that bicycle racks should be placed on the sides of buildings rather than the front. Brueggemann identified the Bingham Humanities building, Davidson Hall, Ekstrom Library, Miller Hall and Stevenson Hall as areas in need of extra bicycle racks.
“It’s a very reasonable request to the university,” Brueggemann said, “We’ve recognized, we have a solution that’s doable and attainable, and hopefully costs won’t be too big of a factor and that they’ll be able to get it done.”
