Biking at Pierce College? Tricky business.
With 426 acres, more than 2,000 trees, thousands of roses, small herds and flocks of livestock, Pierce is begging to be explored.
It would make sense to get around with a bicycle. Try walking from the Village to Earth Sciences. Pierce has a huge campus.
So why isn’t there a dedicated bike path on campus?
Currently, no bicycle riding is permitted on sidewalks and walkways. Also not permitted, is riding on sidewalks adjacent to classrooms, library, gyms, gardens, grass areas, or in any other college facilities.
The time a bike path would save on a student’s already taxing schedule is a big plus. With a dedicated lane, students would have more time to eat, study and get to class.
And wouldn’t that add to Pierce’s enrichment of its community?
Consider one of its goals to “increase opportunities for student access, readiness, retention and success.”
A bike path would certainly increase those opportunities. With concerns about global warming, it does not help that Pierce College is a commuter school, which no doubt brings up issues of its implications of greenhouse gas emissions.
A bike path on campus will continue the “eco-friendly campus” that Pierce has aimed to be since 2003, when it launched the largest community college solar-powered system in the country.
So what would this bike path look like? It would run through the walkway, connected by additional paths around campus.
There are already streets with minimal traffic that can accommodate a bike path. These streets include the Village Loop, the Avenue of Champions, Pierce Lane, Stadium Way andPark Lane.
And if Pierce is committed to the safety of everyone on campus, then a separate path for bikes would reduce vehicular and pedestrian accidents.
A bike lane opens the possibility to explore the campus. Pierce touts itself for being a bigger campus than UCLA, but UCLA has a thriving bike culture to get around town.
Pierce does not.
Even CSUN with its tinier campus can accommodate bike traffic, and it has a bike shop.
One of Pierce’s values includes seeking “better ways to serve and innovate.” If it wants to consider itself an innovator, then consideration of a bike path would certainly be a step in theright direction.
A dedicated path serves more than just the student body and would contribute to an added sense of community.
Or at the very least, let’s make it easier for students to find the bicycle safety rules online.