Is Utah State a bicycle-friendly campus?

With around 200 students choosing cycling as their preferred method of transport, bikers’ safety is a concern on Utah State University’s campus.  

USU has been ranked a gold-level bicycle-friendly university by The League of American Bicyclists, an award given to institutions that promote safe and accessible biking.  

However, USU student Kiersten McDonald said that USU is still not doing enough.  

“I’ve almost gotten hit countless times by cars,” McDonald said. “And I think it’s just a really big issue because bikers aren’t safe on campus, even though the university markets it as a bike-safe campus.”  

McDonald said she isn’t the only student who feels this way.  

“I work at Aggie Blue Bikes. I’m kind of constantly talking to people who are riding bikes on campus,” McDonald said. “One of my friends came into the shop and said she was riding on the new bike boulevard and almost got hit by a car and thought that bikes were supposed to be the primary users of that road.” 

McDonald decided it was time to take action, and she created an Instagram account called @bikingissues.  

McDonald posts pictures of biking lanes being blocked by construction and parked cars, faded paint on bike lanes and more. In one of her recent posts, McDonald commented on USU’s overfilled bike racks.  

“Hmmm, it seems to me that if the bike racks look like this & you have to add a sign telling people to not lock bikes to fences, it’s time for more bike parking,” the post read. “What do you think @usuaggielife @usufacilities? You just put in a brand new parking garage, spend a little money and put more bike parking around campus.” 

Nolan Sigler, an employee at Aggie Blue Bikes, agreed that bike parking is “tricky” in some areas on campus. 

“It’s always hard to find a spot,” Sigler said. 

Sigler said he supports McDonald’s Instagram page. 

“I think that if anything, it’s a good thing because it’s kind of a voice for bicyclists,” Sigler said. “Especially in the city where infrastructure is centered around cars versus bikes.” 

USU’s campus isn’t the only place in Logan facing backlash for the lack of cycling infrastructure. 

“I’ve seen countless cars just parked in the bike lane and I’m like, ‘OK, now I have to go into the car lane, and I’m afraid that that car is not going to see me,’” McDonald said. “Around town only a few of those roads actually have bike lanes; a lot of them just have nothing. So bikers just have to ride on the side of the road and hope that cars see them. And especially the busy roads like Main Street and 400 North — they are basically impossible to bike on. They’re so dangerous.” 

McDonald and Sigler said they have ideas of how to make USU and Cache County safer for biking.  

Sigler said there should be more bike lanes on roads and around campus.  

“I think bike lanes are better than shared roads,” Sigler said. 

McDonald said the university should “work with the people who are actually riding bikes on campus.” 

“All that USU Facilities did was put new markers on the road. I don’t think any cars would have known that it is actually a bike boulevard or anything. There’s no signage or education for cars,” McDonald said. “And I don’t think USU Facilities has coordinated with anybody who actually rides a bike on campus.”