As environmental awareness grows rapidly, MSU has announced its intention to transition to a walk-in campus in the coming years. One might expect to see changes that reflect these ideals, but few have been apparent.
Automobiles are a chief offender in the case to protect Mother Earth, yet MSU has done little to provide incentives for students and staff members to find alternative means of transportation to, from and across campus.
There is a relatively cheap solution to this problem: Encourage students and employees to ride bicycles.
I recently moved from MSU to Oregon State University, and although MSU does many things well, its policy and civil planning regarding cyclists is embarrassing, to say the least.
Oregon State's main campus occupies a significantly more compact area than MSU. Walking across campus here is extremely easy, yet a large proportion of students choose to bike.
Oregon State's incentives for bicycling are far ahead of those at MSU. Many bike racks are covered and kept away from automotive traffic and salt spray.
The bikes parked at the racks are respected by workers on campus and aren't constantly being rammed by university vehicles as they are at MSU. And, most notably, there are bike lanes on most, if not all, major streets.
The effects of having a bike-friendly university are stunningly clear. Automobile traffic is reduced, increasing pedestrian and cyclist safety while helping to reduce air and noise pollution.
Local businesses surrounding campus also benefit because students choose to live within biking distance. There has been a great deal of effort devoted to finding ways to keep the heart of East Lansing from moving north, and providing a safer, more inviting environment for cyclists around the Grand River Avenue area would only help to accomplish this.
With so much construction on campus in the summer, setting aside funds and time to implement bike lanes and other bike amenities should be relatively easy. Hopefully, MSU will be able to learn from other campuses in this regard as it moves forward.
D. A. Brown
2007 MSU graduate
