Bikes on Campus: SDSU Students Want to Ride

A story in today's Union-Tribune discusses the ban on bicycle travel on SDSU's campus, and the students who are trying to get the ban repealed. The university cites safety concerns because of sidewalks jammed with pedestrians, as well as the damage some cyclists cause by cutting across green spaces and landscaping. Campus safety officers actually ticket bicycle riders for riding on most sidewalks on campus. Students are citing environmental and parking concerns in their efforts to get the ban repealed.

My wife works at SDSU, and I can confirm that during the semester the sidewalks are very crowded, but the answer is not to ban bike travel. Bike lanes and approved bike routes on campus would help a great deal, as would an education and enforcement campaign to encourage responsible cycling. If officers are already ticketing riders, why not focus only on the irresponsible ones?--the ones who cut across lawns, ride too fast, and disregard "Yield" and "Stop" signs. So many students live within cycling distance of campus, why not create a safe and welcoming environment for them once they arrive? Cycling on campus is possible, and on a sprawling campus like SDSU, should be encouraged. Instead of banning bike travel altogether, campus planners should look for ways to integrate bikes into their campus plan.