Mary Rucinski – Staff Writer
After becoming a designated Bike Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists about four years ago, the University of Wyoming had its first Bike to UW Day.
An opportunity to get free items and bike safety education, the event usually draws in around 100 students.
This year’s Bike to UW Day is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the University of Wyoming Simpson Plaza.
“The biggest purpose is to promote cycling as a safe, fun, and effective way to get to campus, either for school or for work,” Co-Chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee Dan McCoy said.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee will host Bike to UW Day. The committee exists to develop policy and support bikers and pedestrians on campus.
Other than sponsoring bike day, the committee replaces bike racks, updates bike maps and routes, and marks dismount zones.
“One of the other big things for this event is that we really want to make sure people know the rules of the road and follow the rules of the road,” McCoy said.
Individuals who show up in Simpson Plaza on bicycles can get updated bike maps, safety checks, bike lights, cycling information and water bottles.
“We’ve got some really nice bike bottles that the Auxiliary Services purchased, and we’ll give those away to anybody who shows up on their bike,” McCoy said. “Well, they’ll have to answer a question first about safe cycling.”
The event will also promote bike registration with the UW Police Department. UWPD will be there offering registration for just $5.
“We want to encourage people, we want to thank them [for bicycling], and we want to educate,” McCoy said.
Aside from UWPD, bike rental representatives from the Outdoor Program as well as local bicycle shops will be at Bike to UW Day.
“Our hope really is somebody who has a bike or has access to a bike, who’s never ridden before, decides to ride and try it out and finds a safe way to do it, and they do it more regularly,” McCoy said.
“It’s a really easy community to bike,” McCoy said of Laramie. He explained the money-saving and health benefits of cycling instead of driving to work or class.
The University of Wyoming offers many different resources for cyclers and bike upkeep such as bike lockers near the residence halls, an air pump station on the southwest corner of the Physical Sciences building, and bike repair tools provided by the Outdoor Program.
Other useful cycling information can be found at uwyo.edu/bike.
In addition to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee, the event is sponsored by UW Auxiliary Services, UWPD and the UW Outdoor Program.
