Bikers get more room to park on campus
University recognizes need for more bike racks
With gas prices rising, more University of Kansas students are riding their bikes to campus. To accommodate the growing number of bikers, the University created more bike racks.
By Dylan Sands
Friday, September 28th, 2007
Bike riders on campus now have a bit more breathing room when it comes to parking their wheels. The Facilities and Operations department has added several new bike racks to campus.
Photo by Adam McDonald
Additional bike racks on the University of Kansas campus give students more room to park in front of several buildings. The increased gas prices brought more bikers to campus, and the Facilities and Operations department saw the need to create more racks. The department worked with students to find the best places to build the new bike rack areas. Doug Riat, director of the Facilities and Operations department, said he wanted to put more racks in front of Budig Hall.
Don Steeples, vice provost for scholarly support, said in an e-mail last month that high gas prices were spurring more students and faculty to ride their bikes to campus.
The Center for Sustainability took suggestions from students as to where racks needed to be placed. Facilities and Operations worked with the Design and Construction Management to locate the areas where racks were needed most.
“The areas we were aware of coincided with the majority of the requests,” said Doug Riat, director of Facilities and Operations.
Riat also said that Facilities and Operations was working on placing more racks in front of Budig Hall. He said the number of students that attend classes there daily made the current racks congested.
Nate Blum, Lawrence senior, said that other areas needed more bike racks as well.
“The majority of the time I can find a spot, but I have trouble at Wescoe and Budig,” he said.
Blum also said the University needed bike racks that were sheltered from the weather. He said he had returned to his bike only to find it wet from rain or snow.
Ken Wonko, Olathe sophomore, said he also would like to see more sheltered racks on campus.
“That’s why I always wrap my seat in a plastic bag,” he said.
— Edited by Kaitlyn Syring
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