Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: Letters

As a regular commuter to campus via bicycle and as an advocate for bicycling in general, I have very mixed feelings about the recent decisions Truman has made concerning bicycling on campus. I agree that bicyclists speeding to class at the last minute pose a hazard to pedestrians and themselves and that Truman should take steps to discourage this practice. Reckless bicycling such as this is an impediment to the goal of bicycling awareness and acceptance. However, moving the bike racks does little toward this goal. It only encourages people to lock their bikes to whatever is available, damaging property, negatively affecting campus aesthetics and creating ill will toward bicyclists.

If Truman is truly dedicated to promoting a healthy alternative to driving to campus, it should provide greater incentives for safe bicycling, including more conveniently placed racks (and more of them) and even sheltered racks near the dorms. Furthermore it should allow bicycling on campus during nonpeak hours. It still can actively discourage riding on campus during class changes and illegal parking with warnings and fines. But in the end, I believe that bicycling is an essential element of the university environment; after all, one of the most famous pictures is of Einstein on a bicycle. It suggests a level of comfort, community and openness we seem to want to encourage here at Truman. For this to happen, Truman needs to embrace and encourage safe bicycling on campus.

Alex Tetlak
Instructor in Classics