Bicyclists: Please use caution and ride defensively in Fort Collins, especially within the vacinity of CSU campus. It's move in time for CSU students and there is a high level of automobile traffic in the campus and Old Town area.

Incoming CSU Students Get Educated on Bike Safety & Etiquette

Formed under the auspices of the UniverCity Connections' Transit and Mobility Task Force, a CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee might begin to take shape after several months of planning. Following a series of CSU Bike Summits which brought together the City's FC Bikes program, Bike Fort Collins, and several CSU departments including, CSUPD, Hartshorn Health Center, Facilities Services, Housing & Dining Services, ASCSU, and Parking Services has led to initial conversations regarding the development of a campus led bicycle advisory committee. The goal of this committee will be to help steer CSU in a bicycle friendly direction over the next several years.

To date, four CSU Bike Summits have taken place to discuss and develop education strategies for new and returning students, and facility infrastructure improvements including bike lanes, signage, bike trails, enforcement measures, and encouragement techniques.

Results from the summit meetings began this summer during CSU’s Preview program, when new CSU students visit campus prior to the fall semester. During Preview, CSUPD reached out to over 4000 incoming students and educated them on bicycle safety, tips on bike theft prevention, and proper riding etiquette.

The City's FC Bikes program has also incorporated its Co-Exist Education Campaign into the University and has placed hundreds of posters and fliers throughout dorms and cafeterias.

Students will also learn about proper riding etiquette and road rules while registering their bikes this week in front of the Police Headquarters on Thursday and Friday from 7:30am-5pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Recycled Cycles will provide free maintenance.

Additionally, the City's FC Bikes program and Transfort Department will be on campus for the first week of school encouraging and educating students on bicycle safety and sensible forms of transportation.

This initial outreach will be followed up with the second annual S.M.A.R.T. Fair (Sensible Modes of Alternative Road Transportation) on Sept. 17th at Lory Student Center Plaza. This event will bring many bicycle and transit-oriented organizations to campus to offer students information on transportation alternatives.

Concurrent to the educational outreach efforts, the City’s FC Bikes program is funding a part-time student employee to spearhead a student-led campus bicycle advocacy group with hopes (goals?) to inspire social and education focused bicycle activity on campus. Funding for this position comes from the FC Bikes’ Congestion and Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant.

Many CSU departments are embracing bicycling and have invested in providing adequate facilities for bicyclists. CSU's Parking Services and Facility Services Departments have recently added 200 new bike racks on campus and there are plans for the installation of an additional 100 racks next. Currently, there are 8500 bicycling parking spots located on campus, up from 6500 parking spots last year.

CSU also plans to apply for designation with the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community (campus) program. Other universities have applied for this designation, for example, Stanford University, which is currently a gold level bicycle friendly campus.

This year’s bike education blitz will be the greatest effort CSU and the City has ever co-produced. Both organizations are hopeful that these educational outreach efforts will have an impact on incoming students and continue to change the local culture by encouraging more students to bike and bus while educating more students on the importance of riding respectfully on campus and throughout the City.