I give a wholehearted vote of support to CSUPD for cracking down on bikers who continue to make the commute to campus a dangerous and frustrating one.

I am a cyclist who has been riding my bike to and from campus (twice a day) for 13 years. During this time, the number of cyclists, skateboarders, cars, pedestrians and scooters has greatly increased, as has the challenge of making it to campus safely. Last year three people in my department alone were involved in a bike/pedestrian collision and two of these people sustained significant injuries.

Imagine how many people are injured campus-wide.

It is past time for selfish/unaware bikers (not just students, but faculty and staff as well) who repeatedly do things like ride the wrong way in a bike lane forcing others into the lane of traffic, to receive a ticket for their actions. Why should it be any different for someone on a bike than it is for someone driving a car? Would you, as a driver, question an officer who tickets you after you made a decision to blow through a red light in a car?

We have run out of room on campus for more parking spaces, thus encouraging the use of alternative transportation. This is a good thing. It is great that more people on campus are riding bikes, walking and skate boarding as alternative modes of transportation. As the number of people using alternative transportation increases it should be a continuing and high priority of our administration to keep our “green” campus safe.

This means an ongoing commitment to provide the necessary resources, such as bike cops, to fulfill this goal. For those of you who think this enforcement is more about the University collecting lots of money than it is about keeping people safe, don’t break the law and you won’t be required to contribute.

Lynn Stutheit is a CSU staff member and a member of the Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee.