Issue date: 7/23/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Nick Niforos Bicycle mechanic Sean Alkire works on a bike frame in the Recreational Services Bike Shop in Johnson Center on July 20.

by Jeremy Hunt

Daily Lobo



If you catch Tour de France fever, riding your bicycle to campus may be the cure.

UNM offers services to encourage students to choose biking over driving, said Cynthia Martin, program planning manager for Parking and Transportation Services.

"There are dollar benefits, health benefits, benefits to the environment," she said.

Lockers for bicycle storage are new to campus this semester.

The bicycle lockers are available through Parking and Transportation Services for $16 per semester.

They are large boxes made of fiberglass and reinforced plastic with a panel that opens on one end.

They can be placed in different parts of campus, depending on where people want them, Martin said.

There are some limitations to where a locker can be placed, but the department is flexible, Martin said.

Sixteen lockers have been rented, she said. The department has 40, according to the UNM Web site.

They have been put near Ortega Hall, Johnson Center and the Oñate Parking Lot, she said.

"It's sort of like having a reserved space for your bike," she said.

The lockers protect bicycles from weather and would-be thieves, Martin said.

Although a locker doesn't guarantee security, it's much safer than chaining a bicycle to a rack, she said.

If your bicycle breaks down, UNM Recreational Services can fix it between classes at Johnson Center, Martin said.

She said students don't have to ride their bicycles to campus all the way from their homes.

"We're offering the services of an alternative transportation consultant," she said.

Martin said the consultant works with students to develop a plan that doesn't involve driving.

The consultant can be contacted

through Parking and Transportation Services.

The best option may be a combination of public transportation and bicycling, she said.

"If they're using the Rail Runner, they can bring their bicycles on it," she said. "A lot of people aren't always aware of their options."

For more information, go to the Parking and Transportation Services Web site at Pats.unm.edu or call Cynthia Martin at 277-0461.



For a map of the bicycle routes around Albuquerque, go to the city's Web site at Cabq.gov/recreation/bicycle

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