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Path: utzoo!decvax!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!unmvax!unm-cvax!galway
From: galway@unm-cvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: (long) Campus bike/pedestrian contention
Message-ID: <336@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 17:44:24 EST
Article-I.D.: unm-cvax.336
Posted: Fri Apr 12 17:44:24 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 05:01:09 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: University Of New Mexico Computing Center, Albuquerque, NM
Lines: 106


    University of New Mexico bicyclists are facing a possible ban of
bicycles on intra-campus paths & malls.  The impetus for this ban comes from 
improper use of wheelchair ramps by bicyclists, and resulting activism by
physically challenged individuals.

    Comments from people at other campuses on how to best integrate 
bicycle and pedestrian traffic (and wheelchairs, skateboards, etc.) 
are solicited.  The usual 'mail & I'll summarize' offer holds. Mail to:

    ...!{convex,ucbvax,gatech,csu-cs,anl-mcs}!unmvax!unm-cvax!galway  or
    ...!{pur-ee!purdue,ucbvax!lbl-csam,philabs!cmcl2}!lanl!unm-cvax!galway

To help pedalers at UNM deal with this problem please include:

    Campus description      urban, rural?; spread-out, dense?; hilly, level?
    Population sizes        daily, total, drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians
    Areas of contention     crosswalks, malls, streets, parking lots,?

    Alternatives    is the campus 'walking size', larger, smaller?;
		    is parking (for cars) cheap, expensive, impossible?
		    are bicycle racks rare, at perimeter, everywhere?

    Problems        any accidents at your campus lately?
		    anyone hurt? were damages awarded?
		    was fault determined

    Suggestions     what does your campus do? what should we/they do?

The rest of this article describes UNM & solutions currently under
consideration.  Thanks in advance for your help.

Regarding our local situation, first let me make it clear that I
feel that pedestrians generally deserve right-of-way, and certainly
deserve it in most on-campus situations.  That goes as well for the
physically challenged - perhaps the general rule in a mall, or 
pathway, should be that the more mobile should yield to (or behave like)
the less mobile...

Our campus is in a fairly level medium density urban area, with few
trans-campus streets.  The buildings are spread out, with a mix of wide
malls & pathways (malls paved building to building; paths ~8 feet wide
through lawn etc.)

About 25,000 students & staff total, not all of that every day.  About
700 bicycles on campus daily.  Many pedestrians - many students live
within a mile or two of school, but we also have many auto-commuters,
many of whom are part-time students (and hence less likely to pedal to
school).

Bicycle-affected problems:

    Auto/bike contention on streets - there are no marked bike routes
or paths on campus (although there are elsewhere in town).

    A medium percentage of bicyclists who run (or coast) stop signs,
U-turn, left-turn, enter streets without stopping, pedal through
crosswalks, & otherwise keep auto-drivers from getting bored :-)

    Bikes are prohibited in buildings - but a few can be found in
almost every building on campus...  contention here between safety
for people (fire, visually challenged, etc.) & security for bikes
(every so often waves of bike thefts come through). (personally, I
use a Citadel lock & park outside.)

    Bike racks are grouped near groups of buildings - but some people
don't like to use them - there is a not-so-obvious problem with people
who lock bikes to stairway railings which are used by the visually
challenged.

    Parking for cars runs ~$90/year for faculty; ~$40/semester for
students; bicycle racks were paid for out of these parking fees.
Parking is growing increasingly tighter as buildings infill the campus,
and the habits of a commuter campus conflict with the realities of
space scarcity.

    Accidents: One physically challenged individual has had 12
incidents over a ~3.5 year period - bicyclists apparently usually
run into his guide dog, not his powered wheelchair -- certainly no fun
either way -- apparently not all uncaring people are behind the wheel
of a car or truck...  A new state law on tort claims opens a possiblity
that the university could not claim soverign immunity against claims
of negligence, or of encouraging bicycles as an attractive nuisance.

    Solutions:  we are looking at:

Ban of mounted (ridden) bicycles on campus paths, walkways, malls.
People would be expected to dismount & walk their bike, or lock it &
just walk. Campus planning is moving toward a 'pedestrian' campus -
closing off streets & alleys.

Modified bans - mounted bikes banned in certains malls, etc; at certain
times.

Establishment of bike routes along existing streets & paths (paths with
less pedestrian use).  This was suggested a few years ago, but died in
committee/bureaucracy.  There is some esthetic resistance to clutters of
signs, painted marks or signs on sidewalks, etc.

Enforcement of bike bans is virtually impossible, but we are hoping
that peer pressure and increased awareness will take care of the
current contention.

That's about it -- if you insist, 's/challenge/handicap/g' above, and
thanks again for any reasonable, constructive suggestions.
Denis McKeon