Calling all bicycles, tricycles and even unicycles – the university is hosting its third-annual Bike to UW Day 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Simpson Plaza outside the Union.
Riders can come by for giveaways, free bike safety checks, bike registration and information about bike-related organizations on campus.
Sponsored by the UW Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee, Auxiliary Services, UWPD and the Outdoor Program, Bike to UW Day aims to encourage students and staff to commute to campus by bike. Biking, in addition to skipping the hassle over parking a car, is an eco- and health-friendly means of transport.
“We really want to encourage people to use biking as means of transportation because it’s safe, efficient, good for the environment and also for people who do it, from an exercise standpoint,” said Dan McCoy, co-chair of the UW Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee and professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. “We also want to make sure people are doing it responsibly.”
To that end, information will be available about bike laws and regulations, as well as free campus maps showing bike routes and dismount zones. Giveaways also include water bottles from Auxiliary Services, bike lights to those who register their bikes with UWPD and safety checks performed by local bicycle shops All Terrain Sports and the Pedal House. Bike registration, required for bikes ridden or parked on campus, costs $5 and helps UWPD recover and identify bikes in the event they are lost or stolen.
The Outdoor Program will be on hand to provide information about the Pokes’ Spokes Bike Library, the program to rent a yellow bike for the semester or academic year. The UW mountain bike club and cycling club will also be in attendance.
So long as the sun’s out, the university sees a significant number of cyclists, as evidenced by full or over-full bike racks around campus, McCoy said.
“The numbers have been pretty consistent. I definitely feel we have seen an increase in cycling on campus in general,” he said.
The League of American bicyclists designates UW as a bike-friendly university. In addition, Laramie ranks as one of the top cities of its size for the number of people who use cycling as their mode of transportation to work, according to the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey. LAB ranks Wyoming as a whole 42nd for bike-friendliness.
Find UW’s comprehensive site for bike information, including registration, maintenance, regulations and links to local bike groups, at UWyo.edu/bike.
