Bicyclist convenience should not take precedence over safety issues

Ingrid Ayerinskas writes about her department head's memorandum cracking down on illegally parked bicycles.

It notes violations and fines for parking a bike inside a University building or on any ingress/egress ramp.

The implication is that these actions are inconsistent with alternative transportation and are "just more bureaucratic lip service."

While it may protect the bike better, moving a bike around in hallways and corridors presents a hazard to everyone else. Bikes in buildings result in injuries. Protecting a bike should not be at the cost of injury to others.

Apart from University policy, various Arizona State laws and fire safety codes do not allow bikes in buildings or entrance ways. In case of a fire, a bike in a hallway either stored, moving in or out, or in any ingress or egress, blocks the exit of people out of the building.

With annual insurance costs of $9.5 million for the University, ignoring safety and liability issues would be wrong and a disservice to all users of campus buildings, including bicycle riders.

If there is a problem with secure bicycle storage, the solution is not to violate basic safety measures.

By Alan Lee
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 12, 1997