Campus bike lanes a waste of funds

White lines are being painted all over campus sidewalks. They first appeared late last month and are intended to prevent accidents between bicyclists and pedestrians. During the weekend, bicyclist stencils were painted alongside the bike routes to educate pedestrians and bikers on how to use this new striping system.

Jake Green from Commuter Services said he is aware of two bicyclist-pedestrian accidents that have taken place this semester.

Former U student Josh Jones said he was once ticketed by a campus police officer for riding his bike too fast. Although difficult to enforce, a campus police watchdog system seems like it’d be better than lines painted on a sidewalk to promote safety.

The new sidewalk striping program is a pointless initiative. The lack of planning and research that took place before the lines were painted is dumbfounding.

Green said an ad hoc study was conducted in which avid bicyclists stood next to a sidewalk near the Student Services Building to count the number of bikes that passed during a two-and-a-half-hour period. Forgoing the use of speedometers, they counted nearly 40 bikes that passed along Union Drive. Apparently this information was enough to justify paying a contractor $3,500 to paint the lines on campus sidewalks.

Green said the initiative is in the beginning stages and Commuter Services is relying primarily on students to assist with the program’s rollout. For example, the U Bikes Public Comment Forum is a Google group where U employees, students and concerned people can discuss the biking environment at the U and make suggestions of where more white lines should be painted. But considering the money being spent, the project should be managed by an entity that does real research before implanting unproven solutions.

Many students are confused by the bike lanes and can’t see the point.

“If someone cannot control their bike because they do not know which side of the pavement to ride on, then they have serious issues and might need to think before even bringing a bike on campus,” said Brett Sorensen, a junior in communication.

The bike routes proceed from the Heritage Center to the Marriott Library and the Student Services Building. The lanes will extend to the Warnock Engineering Building as soon as water piping construction in the area finishes.

Regardless, the bike lanes are unnecessary and a reckless use of funds. The $3,500 spent to paint these lines on the sidewalk could have been better used in almost any other capacity.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/campus_bike_lanes_a_waste_of_funds