NEWS

Marine biology major Maxine Cronin uses her beach cruiser bike six days a week to make her way around campus and to shop at Publix. The only inconvenience about using her bike comes when she tries to park it.

“Bikes are stacked up and some are not even [being] used,” said the sophomore about bicycle racks near her dorm.

Bike space has been an issue for Cronin, as she tries to prevent upsetting other riders or scratching her own bicycle.

According to Student Government Chief Justice Nicholas Scalice, bicycles are found almost everywhere, whether chained up around trees or on staircases, tossed on the ground or leaned up against a building, because there aren’t enough bike racks.

“Some of the spots that have bicycle racks are so filled over capacity that students have no choice but to put [their bikes] somewhere else,” Scalice said.

Scalice also uses a bike as his primary method of transportation on campus.

“Bicycles are very convenient,” Scalice said. “I want to encourage students to use their bikes because our university wants to go green.”

Junior economics major Eric Jensen decided he wanted to start riding a bike due to the problems he encountered getting to school by car.

“Parking is horrible,” said Jensen. “I got a $50 ticket for parking my car in the wrong spot.”

Jensen now rides his mountain bike from the Village Apartments to the colleges of business and education twice a week for classes. He added that biking was a good way to avoid being in a potential car accident.

Other students, like freshman biology major Rebecca Kintner, do not own a car.

As she locked her aluminum Ironman bike next to the sign post outside General Classroom North, Kintner said that since she lives close enough to school, she rides her bike from her home to campus every day.

After recognizing the need for more bike racks, Scalice wrote a bill to present to the Boca House of Representatives when he served in the Legislative Branch.

The legislation, which will dictate the funds SG will provide for the project, is currently in discussion in the Boca House.

“The Division of Facilities recognizes the need to provide additional bike racks and is supportive of keeping the Boca Raton campus a bike-friendly campus,” said Director of Space and Utilization Shannon Clounts via e-mail.

“There has been an increase with students riding bikes to and from campus and it is evident that additional racks are needed based on an assessment of the number of bikes parked at the current racks on campus.”

Scalice pointed out the areas he has seen that need bike racks, including: Oxley Athletic Center, Parking Lot 5, the College of Education and the south side of the College of Business.

Clounts said that the university is “currently reviewing the areas to determine where there is a need for additional bike racks, and we are also identifying existing bike racks that could be repositioned to accommodate more bikes.”

She said that at the moment, there isn’t a set cost for this project, but it will be covered in part with state funds and with SG funds.

There are consequences for students who don’t park their bikes in the racks.

According to FAU Policy 4.1.5, “bicycle parking is limited to bike racks and other designated areas. Parking a bicycle in any other area (i.e. building lobbies, stairwells, porches, trees, bushes, fences, access ramps, etc.) is prohibited.

Bicycles locked to an access ramp are subject to confiscation by the University Police.”

Fines are not given to violators, but Deputy Chief Keith Totten said FAU police tag the infringing bikes with a note asking the owner to move it. If the bike owner doesn’t move his bike within 24 hours, then the bicycle is removed and held by police for three to four months.

During that time, if the bicycle is not claimed by the owner, the bike then goes to auction and funds go to the university.

“Ninety per cent of the bikes we confiscate are abandoned bikes,” Deputy Chief Totten said.

Deputy Chief Totten added that they usually check for abandoned bikes once a year after spring graduation.

But student Rebecca Kintner said she had no idea about this policy — even after she received a notice.

She parked her bike, along with two other classmates’ bikes, outside the Forkas Alumni Center away from the entrance and simply locked her bike frame to the wheel.

When she returned from class her bike had a note saying to move the bike by next week, otherwise it was going to be removed by FAU police. The notice also said that she would be fined.

“Bike racks are not close to buildings,” Kintner said.

Shannon Clounts said the problem will not be resolved this semester, but students can expect to see changes soon.

“We are hoping to have the new bike racks as well as the changes to the current racks done by the Fall 2011,” Clounts said.