Pedaling to a new policy
For those who like to get around campus fast, a revised Utah State University campus biking policy has been passed by Associated Students of USU.
Currently, the policy needs only to be approved by USU President Stan Albrecht and other administration members. Members of the community bike coalition proposed the bike policy revisions to ASUSU. The vote was unanimous, said Adam Christensen, outdoor recreation center’s rental manager.
The existing policy was revised because of two things; bikers were required to have a permit and bikes could only be allowed on campus at certain hours of the day, said ASUSU Student Advocate Al Lambert.
With the new proposal bike permits will no longer be needed.
Lambert, who originally proposed the revisions, said taking out the need for permits will encourage more students to take advantage of alternative modes of transportation, such as biking.
Christensen said that chief of police Steve Mecham had never seen a bike permit and had never seen the permits to issued one.
USU police thought it “was a ridiculous policy,” Christensen said, because it could not be enforced.
“The times designated to bike are kind of vague and no one really knows about them,” he said.
The existing policy stated, “All Vehicles will be prohibited . . . within the Pedestrian Zone from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.”
“The new bike policy doesn’t restrict bike use on campus to certain hours of the day, but allows it all day,” Christensen said.
Now, because the policy will be enforced 24 hours, the police support it, he added.
“The new policy will not go into effect until it has passed through the executive committee,” Christensen said.
ASUSU members will take the proposed revisons to Albrect and other executive members Wednesday, March 30, at 4 p.m. in the Senate Chambers.
The policy is near impossible to find on the USU police Web page.
“I dare you to look up the bike policy on the Police Web site. I found it the first time, but couldn’t find it the second time,” Lambert said.
ASUSU members wants to publicize the bike policy more and make a brochure with a set of rules and consequences to be printed bi-annually, Christensen said.
ASUSU members also want to include a more extensive overview of the bike policy on the USU police Web site.
ASUSU Executive Council meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center in Room 336.
-ranaebang@cc.usu.edu
Bikes locked up on campus line a USU sidewalk. (Statesman archive)