UW Designated as Bicycle Friendly University

The League of American Bicyclists today (Nov. 5) recognized the University of Wyoming as a Bicycle Friendly University.

UW received the league’s bronze award to join more than 100 colleges and universities in 42 states that have “transformed their campuses and the communities around them.”

“In its fourth year, we’ve seen the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) program reach an exciting level of growth and momentum, as more and more campuses support bicycling in new and innovative ways,” says Amelia Neptune, the BFU program manager. “We applaud this round of BFUs for raising the standard of what a bicycle-friendly campus looks like.”

UW encourages bicycling as an easy option for transportation and offers programming including Bike to UW Day, complimentary bike lights provided by the UW Police Department for individuals who register their bikes, increased curb cuts, added bike lanes and bike parking options, and a new bike repair stand near the Classroom Building.

“While it is great to be recognized as a bike-friendly campus, we also recognize that there is more work to be done,” says Dan McCoy, Campus Recreation assistant director and chair of the UW Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee. “In the next few weeks, our committee will review the feedback and see where we can improve.”

Additionally, to ensure awareness and safety, members of the committee discuss bicycle and pedestrian areas of conflict and work to minimize those interactions. The committee also produces public service announcements, updates website information and the campus bike map, which provides cyclists with clear understandable routes and dismount zones.

Moving forward, UW will have access to a variety of free tools and technical assistance from the league to become even more bicycle-friendly.

“We are a campus that strives to achieve gold in everything that we do,” McCoy says. “My goal is that we can eventually achieve a gold level of designation as a bike-friendly campus for UW cyclists and the UW community.”

McCoy credits the efforts of students in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources campus sustainability class for their work in completing the comprehensive application process. He says the designation acknowledges the work of a number of stakeholders on the committee, including leadership from Student Affairs, UW administration, Physical Plant, Facilities Planning, Auxiliary Services, Campus Recreation and the UW Police Department.

To learn more about bicycle resources on campus, visit www.uwyo.edu/bike. To apply or learn more about the free BFU program, visit the league online at www.bikeleague.org/university.