LexRides

[alex]

alright guys, the hyperbole on all sides is getting old.

and turner, you're usually right on and get a lot of respect from me, but calling everyone that disagrees with you a sheep sounds more like something coming out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth than yours. Some good people came up with a plan - you know these good people and their good intentions. The rest of the world doesn't. They're not stupid just because they don't have the privileged information you have.

The fact is, our esteemed university doesn't treat people very well - students, employees, neighbors, etc. So the institution doesn't have the trust of the people. They fucked up royally introducing a program that has a positive precedent other places, and probably would have had positive effect here. It's their own fault for not presenting it in a more positive light. Students already felt put upon and pushed around, and this was the straw that ....

The University should act, ideally, as a service provider - the student is the customer; to be served. But more often the University acts as a boss - dictating from above what students are & aren't allowed to do (including in an educational sense). I think Shane's efforts, and individual teachers, are the few examples of the University serving its students.

Moreover, the enforcement issue is confusing. Either it's mandatory and you enforce it, or it's voluntary. The plan was mandatory with no enforcement - what's the incentive to register? A voluntary program feels less authoritarian, and everyone would feel less put-upon.

As much as we would like to force our biketopia ideals on everyone, it's just not going to happen. Like most of life, change will come slowly and irregularly, one person at a time. Quietly.

(oh, and if you're going to say f*ck, just say fuck for fuck's sake)

[brokebike]

yeah you're right... fuck it.

Looks like no one will have to worry needlessly over this because there's now no fee and everything is basically back to square one.
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[fattire]

[fattire]

[brokebike]

Alex, pardon the hyperbole but I don't think it's too far removed from the context of this whole issue since everything has been fueled by exaggerated emotion from the very start - mostly on the part of those who thought this was a bad idea. And don't put words in my mouth because I never said anyone was stupid for opposing this. Sorry if you or anyone else took it personally, but I'm not retracting the sentiment. Also, in my defense of your comments, all I mentioned was that I had heard something about the idea of the registration program before it was announced. That's all. Nothing privileged about that. Thank god I never said anything about that because then likely I would've been the one responsible for everyone getting all up in arms and freaking out about it.

None of us expects that Lexington or UK is going to become some bike utopia overnight, but damned if there aren't people out there who are at least trying to make steps toward improving things... and small steps are a part of a bigger picture that could, slowly and quietly as you stated, make this place a better, more friendly place to ride a bike. I applaud the efforts of those folks, because they are working for a cause that most people could give two shits about. On my own part, I don't even go to UK and much of what goes on there does not and will never affect me, but several times over the past year or so I have volunteered time that I don't even really have to spare to help out with some of the studies and initiatives that concern bikes on campus. Why? I guess because I thought that maybe - somewhere along the way - my volunteering an hour here and there may make some small bit of difference for someone else and may lead to something bigger happening. Maybe that's just me being naive, but forgive me if I get worked up over something like this - a plan that would've had a lot of benefits for those who want to bike on campus - getting shut down because a bunch of people hastily cried foul and felt that the University was coming down on them and oppressing them. I'm sure most students could think of a million other reasons to protest where their money at UK goes, but I guess this was an easy one because it seems so insignificant.

Could this whole issue have been handled better? Of course. Did the Kernel jump the gun in alarming the student body? Did PTS screw up by allowing a press release to get out before all the kinks had been worked out? Would any of this have made a difference in the outcome? Who knows? I'm not blaming anyone in particular, just disappointed that a potentially good idea was so effectively killed before it had a chance to work for anyone.
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[selfpropelled]

Well happy easter everyone,

The bike registration fee has been crucified and it is unlikely to rise again. I count that as a lost opportunity for changing the culture and the infrastructure for bikes on campus.

Here are a couple of my closing thoughts on this chapter of the bike registration plan. And a disclosure of sorts.

First, the disclosure. This was kind of my idea. I proposed it in a workshop two years ago as a way to reach the thousands of new students who come to campus each fall. These kids are buying their bikes at wal-mart on their way to Lexington, have not ridden in 10 years and the last time they rode a bike it was a toy to them. The primary goal of the program, as proposed then, was to provide education to these students. (No, we don't require an education component to get parking permits but we assume that you have passed your drivers license test). I brought the idea up on campus a few months later and then it really seemed to die. About 9 months ago someone in PTS got excited about it and they began to do the research and here we are today. That being said, I don't work for PTS, and I was only consulted on the side about this a couple times until Friday. On Friday, I was able to reccomend that the registration process include an active and mandatory education component, and they agreed to this. Registration will be online so this will likely be a series of questions covering the rules of the road and safe cycling that you have to get right before you receive your free sticker.

The Educational potential of this plan was in my mind its greatest merit. Second to that was the fact that PTS was proclaiming in a big way that bikes are a form of transportation with all the rights and responsibilities of other vehicles. With the possibility of a dedicated funding stream seemingly dead, they will continue to ignore bicycles. I asked point blank about this after I found out the fee portion was in danger, and they said "yes we will have to continue to prioritize our projects".

I think what happened was a bit of a perfect storm. First, the program was developed by a department where most of the senior officials come from a law enforcement background. Thus, just blurting out "Here are the new rules. Deal with it" makes a lot of sense to them. Since they have a history of doing this, and most people on campus hate them anyway, there was not much trust built up. The animosity toward them is largely the result of people being too damn dependent on cars and accoustumed to convenience, but thats a whole nother story.

Second, the Kernel is training reporters to work in an industry where contreversy sells. So leading both of the articles with "UK is going to charge you to ride your bike" is a great way to move those papers off the racks.

Third, the suite of economic factors we are facing right now makes everyone nervous, and made this program as it was proposed, a very easy target.

Finally, This really got a lot of people (at all levels of the instituition) thinking and talking about bikes and that can only be good. Despite really blundering the launch of this program, I think PTS took another brave step away from its car-centric past and I think it will have positive benefits in the near future.

[Rowbear]

the kernel tricked me, now I feel more in favor of the program than I did immediately after a kernel reporter told me it was pay to park and if you don't have a sticker your bike will be impounded. Although, Alex is right about the mandatory/voluntary aspect was unclear.
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Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

[jkizzle]

[taylor]

you're right - I retract previous statement re: political views. As for a poorly written and misinformed article, previous comments stand.

Also, the Kernel seems to have changed their tune a bit: http://kykernel.com/2009/04/12/uk-parking-should-have-stuck-to-its-guns-with-bike-fee/

[brokebike]

[selfpropelled]