Friday August 24, 2001 |

Overheard: A male student got out of his class in the Harvill building at about noon Wednesday, walked to his bike, and was approached by an assertive man clad in uniform.

"Sir!" shouted the bicycle safety officer, "If we see your bike locked to a tree again, it will be confiscated immediately!"

The puzzled student looked around. It was obvious he wondered where else he might put it.

And he was right to question the situation. Other bikes in the vicinity graced poles, saplings, and just about anything a Kryptonite lock will encircle. Every slot in every nearby rack was completely full of bikes.

It's not only the Harvill building's racks that are full. The Economics building and the Modern Languages building also need more bicycle parking. Students line up and wait for others to move their bikes so they can take the coveted parking spots. It's making people late for classes.

The UA Parking and Transportation department's rule is specific. It reads: "Bicycle parking is not permitted in any University building; against a tree, signpost, fence, or railing; in a stairwell, exit or entrance to a building; on a ramp or pedestrian sidewalk. Bicycle parking is permitted only at bicycle blocks or racks." The rule exists for a good reason - to ensure safety. Bikes parked in odd places might be tripped over or block a wheelchair ramp.

Lack of adequate parking spots could also encourage theft. It's much easier to steal a bike locked to something non-metal, such as a short tree, than it is to nab one from a circular steel post.

And though many new racks have been added since last semester, the number is far from adequate. According to Gary Thomson, Associate Director of Parking and Transportation, the department registered 812 bikes last semester. Approximately 5,000 bikes are registered on campus at any one time, and there are an estimated 4,000 more that aren't registered at all. That means about one-quarter of students own a bike and park it on campus.

Approximately 6,100 freshman now attend the UA. And they demand at least 1,622 new bicycle parking spaces. In other words, many bicyclists have nowhere to lock their bikes.

More bike racks are scheduled for placement in front of the new Student Union. Thomson said there are 40-45 more racks waiting to be assembled there when construction is complete. Construction on the new Union won't be finished until 2003. What are UA students supposed to do until then? Something must be done soon - this problem will only get worse.

The University underestimated the number of bicycles on campus and the demand for bike racks. Efforts to increase the number of racks are appreciated, but it is not enough. More effort is necessary to resolve this congestion.