LexRides

[fattire]

In case you missed it, check out this plan in the works.


http://kykernel.com/2009/04/07/uk-plans-bicycle-permit-parking/


This idea must have been hatched in a committee because no individual would rationally think this is a good idea on there own. This only occurs in the mindless world of groupthink.

¡Que tonto!

[politicalhero]

I hate that folks have to pay a few extra bucks but it sounds like you don't have to have a permit to park on campus. I could be wrong.

However, getting more and better bike racks sousds like a great plan. Plus as a lot of people on this board who have recently had to deal with cops and their bikes being stolen this might help in the identification process.

Dunno, also it might be a good opportunity to talk to a bunch of new lexingtontians in the fall and teach them how to ride a bike in the bike lane and not on the sidewalk, etc.

Just my thoughts. If it helps with education and more bike racks then it is not a bad thing. If I were a student or Fac/staff I would register my shit during the grace period

[brokebike]

I support this. Many other campuses in the US (especially the larger ones) have bike permit programs in place and they have been successful on a number of different levels, most of which concern added funds for bike facilities in and around campus.

There's always going to be an initial kneejerk reaction from a lot of cyclists whenever a plan like this is enacted. It may serve you well to read into the plan more and really think about what this means and how it could serve to benefit those who are smart enough to use their bikes for transportation around campus. Besides, you have until MARCH 2010 to get the registration while it is still FREE. Anyone who misses out on that deal and has to pay the nominal $15, well, that's their own loss.

I can guarantee you that this wasn't some money grab that came down from on high in the bureaucracy of UK. There's a good group of folks at UK looking out for the interests of bikes on campus and genuinely working to make UK a better place to own and ride a bike. Many of those same folks are active in this community as well. Rest assured, those "mindless groupthinkers" are anything but, and have done far more for the interests of biking in this town than most of us have.
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[alex]

[brokebike]

I think your worries are unfounded, Alex. UK isn't going to have some "bike gestapo" roaming around campus looking for bikes that do not have a sticker; issuing citations. That's pretty unrealistic, considering one of the whole reasons for this program in the first place is quoted in the article:

[selfpropelled]

I agree with Tim and Brian and then some.

This idea was born out of a conversation in 2007 at the Lexington Bike Summit. We were talking about how to provide cyclist education to the 4000+ new faces that show up on UK's campus each year. There are two huge positives to the plan:

1. EDUCATION!!! In my mind, broad scale education is the greatest benefit that this plan has. This would be in the form of a "test" that each person registering would have to take prior to receiving their sticker. In fact, If the education component is not strongly emphasized I will push against this plan. If you agree that cyclist education is the most beneficial aspect of this plan please email PTS director Don Thorton dathor1@email.uky.edu and let him know.

2. Sea Change within Parking and Transportation. This plan also has another really strong aspect to it. UK Parking and Transportation are acknowledging that bicycles are transportation. In my 10 years here, the most PTS has done with regard to bikes is impound them when they are improperly parked. This year alone they have conducted a bicycle use and behavior survey, provided the matching funding for a grant that would extend the University Bike Lanes from Cooper to Alumni, and now this plan. This is HUGE and I think we will continue to see this department evolve away from car-centric programs and policies.

Here are some other benefits to consider:
1. Recurring revenue stream for bicycle infrastructure projects
2. Generous grace period should allow all faculty, staff and current students to register for free
3. If a registered bike is stolen then abandoned it is easy to return it to its owner
4. If bike is registered and you see a thief on it and you call the police they won't laugh at you because you don't have your serial number
5. Enforcement will NOT be an issue. UK does not have the money to send people around checking every bike and there is no way to differentiate between visitors and UK folks. The goal is to provide cyclists with education, new amenities, and addition securities, not to generate $$ from parking tickets.

If you would like to be involved in shaping the education and or marketing of this plan please let me know using the pm function on this forum.

Thanks!

Self.propelled

[elzie5000]

It'll be interesting to see how the enforcement is implemented.

[brokebike]

[alex]

ok, it's obvious you guys have a stake in this and it has positive aspects, and i appreciate what shane said about respecting bikes as traffic

but the way things are said, most times, is just as important as what is said. shane's tone is quite different than the article's tone. the actual quote

[sailorjames]

This is a very sound idea. If anyone has ever taken a peek in the parking garage next to the downtown library, you'll see a virtual boneyard of repossessed bicycles, most of which probably belong to people who think they were stolen and just gave up on them. In actuality, they have no way of knowing who's it is, I had my bike repossessed once during the summer for chaining it to a stop sign on campus, luckily I was aware of the boneyard, id'ed it and got it back, minus the lock of course.

If cyclists want equality with cars, you gotta pay just like everyone else. No such thing as a free lunch.

As a side note: I've seen a number of bikes at the shop come in with Lexington registration stickers, which I guess was done sometime in the 70's, does anyone know the history of that plan off hand so I don't have to do any footwork?

[brokebike]

This is the Kernel we're talking about here, not the New York Times.

For the record, I have no stake in this issue - only that I knew just a tiny bit about this plan beforehand. As expected, it seems as though everyone is taking the stance of victim on this, and Alex, you're right about the PR aspect of this being of utmost importance to the support and acceptance of this plan. Maybe things should've been more carefully thought out in that respect, but that's just me saying that as an outsider - and obviously a supporter of this. I only support it for the very same beneficial reasons that Shane mentioned.

Of course the Kernel is going to write the article with a tone that makes it seem like it is just another way to squeak money out of students. Would you expect otherwise? Read through a small sampling of the comments on the article and you'll see that everyone is up in arms about this, as expected. I think maybe they should've waited until all the info was up on the website before going to press with the plan... but then again, the negative feedback will likely help in addressing all of those issues once all the info is made available.
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[brokebike]

And fattire, I don't mean to call you out, but based on this thread from a while back, I would've expected you to be a proponent of such a plan, especially since a large deal of the plan concerns education for student bikers.

[selfpropelled]

The tone was set by the Kernel (its a newspaper and controversy sells) As I said in my earlier post, I am only for this IF they include the mandatory bike ed piece....

Here is the press release that PTS issued yesterday:

For Immediate Release
April 7, 2009
Contact: Chrissie Balding Tune
Phone: (859) 257-3512
Chrissie.Tune@uky.edu


Parking & Transportation Services Announces Bicycle Registration Program

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 7, 2009) – University of Kentucky Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) will be introducing a bicycle registration program this summer. Permit issuance is expected to begin July 1, 2009. All members of the UK community who wish to park a bicycle on campus must register each bicycle with PTS.

“PTS enthusiastically supports the use of bicycles and other forms of alternative transportation on our campus and we are encouraged by the recent increase in bicycling,” said Don Thornton, Director of Parking & Transportation Services. “A registration program will help us better educate and enforce the rules that will make bicycling at UK a positive experience for everyone.”

The registration will be valid for the entire time that the bicycle belongs to the registrant for a nominal fee of $15. However, the registration fee will be waived for cyclists who register before the month of April 2010 as added incentive for members of the campus community to register their bicycles.

Historically, no single unit has been responsible for bicycles on campus. The launch of the registration program signals PTS taking ownership of bicycle parking issues and serving as a consistent point of contact for members of the University community.

In September 2008, PTS conducted a bicycle cordon count which showed 4,882 bicycles entering and exiting campus in a 12-hour period. The number represents a 37% increase since a similar 1998 count. Between 1998 and 2007, bike ridership grew about four times more than total enrollment. With the increase in ridership comes an increase in demand for bicycle facilities on campus, such as bicycle racks and lanes. Bicycle registration will provide a dedicated stream of funding to install and maintain these resources.

In the 2008 Brookings Institution report “Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America”, Lexington received the dubious distinction of having the worst carbon footprint in America. Commuting alone by car generates an average of 48.9 pounds of carbon dioxide per week, compared to 0 pounds when commuting by bicycle. The improved bicycle facilities possible with the revenue from bicycle registration will make cycling a more viable alternative on campus while shrinking Lexington’s carbon footprint.

Bicycle registration will reduce the cost to campus cyclists in the long-term. Each year, many bicycles end up in the custody of PTS and the University of Kentucky Police Department (UKPD) after they are stolen or abandoned. Should a bicycle be stolen, information provided during the registration process could assist with its recovery and return to its owner. Registration programs at other schools have reduced the number of bicycle thefts. Last year, approximately 60 bicycles were reported stolen on campus, according to UKPD. Registration should also reduce the number of abandoned bicycles. During the summer of 2008, PTS removed approximately 100 abandoned bicycles from campus.

Currently, PTS does not have a method for issuing citations to bicycles, and impounds all illegally parked bicycles by cutting the lock. In 2008, 237 bikes were impounded on campus. Bicycle registration will allow PTS to issue citations and use discretion in impounding bicycles, potentially saving cyclists the expense of replacing their locks.

Finally, the bicycle registration program has benefits for those who do not bicycle. As more members of the University community turn to cycling, the demand for parking will be reduced, and the dedicated revenue source will assist in supporting bicycle initiatives.

More details will be announced at a later date.

[sailorjames]

To any UK students that also pay taxes, I'll link this thread I posted last year to show you that the government will actually pay for your pass in one month due to the new bicycle commuter incentive passed with the bailout bill:

http://www.bikelexington.com/lexrides/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=681&highlight=tax

[politicalhero]