פורסם: 8 בנוב׳ 2010, 3:16 על ידי: Sustainability Org
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עודכן 5 ביוני 2013, 12:41
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- Ripon College
A tiny liberal-arts college nestled in the equally tiny town of
Ripon, Wisconsin (population: 7,500), Ripon College is proof that even
the smallest institutions can pave the way for big change. Its
Velorution Project is a prime example of the small college’s bold
approaches to solving problems. When faced with a conundrum in 2007,
where the number of applicants signing up for parking permits far
exceeded the number of available parking spaces, Ripon College launched
the Velorution Project to alleviate the problem as well as to take a
step in becoming more environmentally friendly at the same time. The
project encourages incoming students to sign a pledge that they will not
drive a car to the campus for the entire school year. But that’s not
all; students must also perform at least ten hours of community service.
In return,
they get a brand new bicycle – specifically, a fancy 2009 Cannondale
F9 mountain bike customized with a Ripon College-themed paint job – to
keep forever.
- University of California – Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara’s sprawling 1,055 acres of California coastal
campus is scenic indeed, and luckily, a large portion of those views can
be enjoyed from behind the handlebars of a bicycle. The school prides
itself in its commitment to going green, and its Transportation
Alternatives Program (TAP) is one great way to push that agenda. One of
the key components of TAP is to make cycling around campus a better
experience. As if Santa Barbara’s outdoor activity-friendly climate were
not enough to get people out of their stuffy cars and onto a bike, UCSB
also created bike lockers for those who ride to school. In addition,
the city itself is bike-friendly, offering a wide network of bicycle
routes that allow cyclists easy and safe passage within Santa Barbara.
- University of California – Davis
Like its sister school UCSB, UC Davis also has a bicycle program
that encourages its students to get out of the car seat and hop onto a
bike. The school provides students with maps and directions of safe bike
routes that will lead them to a number of popular destinations and also
allows for students to apply for a bicycle license at the
Transportation and Parking Services office Mondays through Fridays. The
school even hosts a public bicycle auction after each semester, selling
off lonely bicycles that were abandoned on the campus throughout the
year. This allows for incoming students to purchase a high quality set
of wheels at a greatly discounted price. There’s no incentive to start
cycling quite like the allure of a good bargain.
- Northland College
As a school that emphasizes its mission to incorporate an
environmental emphasis into its liberal arts studies, it is easy to
understand why Northland College is a haven for student cyclists. In
fact, Northland College has constantly been ahead of the
environmentalism curve, going green in 1971, which was decades before
today’s green trend. The college continues to push for more
environmentally-friendly actions today, and these are typically
spearheaded by the students themselves. The Northland College Student
Association (NCSA) had previously launched the Sunshine Bike Program,
where a large number of yellow-painted bikes were "set loose" on the
campus and students could use them whenever they pleased. However, the
plan backfired when all the bikes eventually disappeared from campus as
the result of either accidental or intentional theft. Now, the NCSA set
up a bike rental system where students can rent bicycles with ease,
provided that they also return them.
- Claremont McKenna College
If you’re a cyclist who loves company, then Claremont McKenna
College is your kind of school. Part of the seven-college community
modeled after England’s Oxford University and called The Claremont
Colleges, CMC is one of the country’s most selective liberal arts
colleges with a shining academic reputation. But students will get more
than just quality lectures and brain gymnastics at Claremont; they will
also have the opportunity to join a tight-knit cycling community. The
school’s CCC Club hosts cyclists of all skill levels and invites bike
enthusiasts of all types to come out and ride or race together. The
school even has a comprehensive web guide to local trails ranked by intensity, length, and traffic conditions.
- Emory University
With about 12,930 undergraduate and graduate students filling the
classrooms at Emory University, it is easy to see why bicycles are a
popular mode of transportation as an alternative to jostling with 12,000
other students for a too-cramped parking space. Bike Emory is a project
launched in 2007 that encourages more and more students to give up
their gas guzzlers for a bicycle. Partnered with Fuji Bikes and Bicycle
South, Bike Emory works to make the campus and surrounding community
safer and more efficient for student cyclists. The organization sets up
an affordable bike repair center on campus twice a week to ensure that
students never miss too many days of cycling and that bike hazards are
immediately fixed. The school also provides several maps detailing the best bike-friendly routes to take to explore the campus and surrounding areas.
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
As part of the University of Minnesota chain, which has five
campuses throughout the state, the Twin Cities campus is particularly
inviting for students who prefer pedal power to gas power. There are
over 6,500 bicycle racks and hoops scattered around the campus so
cyclists will never be without a place to hitch their ride. The school
even provides a biker map
that highlights the various bike lanes available around campus and bike
locker locations. In addition to campus trails, students can also hit
the local trails if they want to do some recreational free wheeling.
Another perk for ditching the gas guzzler? The city’s Metro Transit
provides two coupons every six months for a free transit ride to
cyclists who bike to work and school three or more times per week. The
coupons are also good for cab fare of up to $25, which is a useful extra
thing to have for emergency situations when a bike just won’t cut it.
- Mount Holyoke College
The first of the Seven Sisters, which was the female equivalent to
the then-predominately male Ivy League, Mount Holyoke College has long
been regarded as a leader in female education. Located 90 minutes west
of the bustling city of Boston, the school is a peaceful haven devoid of
typical big city noises and distractions. The lack of competition with
cars also makes MHC an ideal campus for those who would rather ride from
destination to destination than drive. To accommodate cyclists, the
college has set up a successful free bicycle registration program, which
helps to identify bicycles and prevent theft. It also helps the school
and individuals return misplaced bicycles to their rightful owners.
- Castleton State College
The tiny 1,800-student strong Castleton State College is a big hit
with cycling fans. In August 2009, the school launched its Castleton
Community Bicycle Program, which allows for CSC students and faculty
members to rent bicycles so that they may give up their fossil-fuel
burning modes of transportation for a manpowered one. The program aims
to enhance Castleton’s green movement, reduce traffic congestion,
alleviate overcrowded parking, and encourage an overall healthier
lifestyle. The school’s enthusiasm for its rentable bike fleet proves
that even the smallest institutions are capable of promoting great
change.
- Bates College
Bates College has been pushing for a greener campus for years and
has taken several monumental steps to achieve that goal. The school
hired its first environmental coordinator in 2006 and has been working
tirelessly ever since to reduce its water waste, electricity use, and
other environmentally harmful practices. The school’s aim for a more
sustainable future can be seen in its construction of the Pedestrian and
Bicycle Bridge, which was converted from the remains of the old
Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Bridge. The bridge offers walkers and cyclists
alike a scenic journey over the Androscoggin River as they trek from
Lewiston to Auburn or the other way around, without worrying about the
interference of speeding cars.
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