San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

Green lane is turning some people red

The bike lane, located on Campanile Walkway, debuted in September to encourage students to use alternative forms of transportation. Copyright Antonio Zaragoza / Staff Photographer

By Anthony Bronson, Staff Writer

Safety and aesthetic concerns will soon be prompting change to the campus bike lane installed at the beginning of this semester.

As a joint effort by San Diego State’s Enviro-Business Society and Associated Students, students are now beginning to provide some feedback as to the bike lane’s effectiveness on campus. The verdict? The bike lanes could use some work.

“The lane will be undergoing some improvements and changes in the next month and especially over winter break,” A.S. President Grant Mack said.

The bike lane’s goal is to “encourage students to bike or skateboard to campus,” according to e3’s website.

“By encouraging the use of alternative transportation options such as bikes and skateboards we are subsequently encouraging students not to use fossil fuel consuming forms of transportation like cars, which emit large amounts of carbon dioxide as well as other pollutants, but instead human energy that does not emit dioxide on the scale that a car does,” Mack said.

However, some argue that the bike lane is not doing what it was intended to do. Stretching only the length of Campanile Walkway in front of Hepner Hall, the bike lane’s short distance may only be creating safety problems, especially during peak times such as during the Farmer’s Market.

“While I was waiting to order food, the bikes were on our way toward all of us who were standing in line,” Jose Preciado, with the Division of Undergraduate Studies, said. “It’s kind of disconcerting to see a skateboard or a bike coming at you full throttle.”

Preciado stressed that the current problems with the bike lane must be solved before they get worse.

“We shouldn’t get to the point where there’s an accident to resolve it,” Preciado said. “Clearly, there needs to be designated lanes throughout the campus for the bikers and the skateboarders. They need to be designated, they need to be respected and they need to be enforced.”

In order to do so, Preciado believes the burden of finding law enforcement to regulate the bike lane should fall on the shoulders of A.S.

“I don’t think A.S. should have any role in monitoring themselves because I don’t think it’s an appropriate role for students to monitor other students,” Preciado said. “Maybe since the Associated Students created the bike lane, they could fund extra law enforcement during the (beginning) phase of this bike lane.”

Some other concerns have arisen as to the size and distinction of the bike lane. Currently, the lane is marked by green tape representing its boundaries and by spray painted white symbols of bicyclists.

According to e3 member Holly Hellerstedt, possible changes to the lane’s distinction include repainting the bike lane to make it easier to see. This will include painting the outside lines red and the inside lines black.

The lane may also see an expansion in its near future.

“The Bike & Skate Lane along Campanile Walkway is currently in a one-year trial period,” according to previous reports. “After the trial period, a more extensive permanent inner-campus route of several lanes will be considered in the spring / summer 2011.”

And this is change Preciado would like to see come to the experimental project.

“Because the designated bike lane is limited to that area (Campanile Walkway), it gets you from there to there and then there isn’t a place where you stop at the end of that lane and park your bicycle,” Preciado said. “You just continue.”

Beginning next semester, students and faculty will see some of their concerns about the bike lane addressed, but it will most likely take longer than that to iron all of the wrinkles out of the project.

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Green lane is turning some people red