Pointlife
A different meaning for “riding the rails.”
Bicycle parking not intended for university ramps
The Pointer
bhaig870@uwsp.edu
Handicap ramps around campus are being blocked by bicycles locked up alongside the rails. As the peak season for biking to classes comes and goes, students are urged to abstain from locking their bikes up anywhere other than the bike racks.
The biggest area of conflict is the ramp on the west side of the Learning Resource Center. The west ramp is already too steep and narrow for wheelchair users to navigate, much less without the added clutter of handlebars sticking out from both railings.
“Sometimes there are up to five bikes in a row locked up on the ramp. Even on the outside they still pose a problem,” said Axel Schmetzke, head of the Independent Media Center at the LRC.
Parking on the disability ramps is a violation of Wisconsin Chapter 18.06(8) which states,”No person may park or store his or her bicycle in buildings, on sidewalks …. Bicycles shall be parked so as not to obstruct free passage of vehicles and pedestrians.”
“Sometimes the bike ramps are too full in the fall and spring, and in the winter they’re usually not shoveled,” said senior Eric Frese.
Students should be reminded that the east bicycle racks are always open during the winter, and the Dreyfus University Center boasts a large amount of bicycle racks as well.
In a late September meeting of the University Affairs Committee, Protective Services Director Bill Rowe indicated that enforcement was difficult because of lack of staffing, but stated that if specific complaints are made, then appropriate action will be taken. Signs were also suggested to warn students to not park on the ramps. However, Rowe agreed that signs would be helpful, but that Facilities wanted to keep the number of signs associated with buildings to a minimum.
The problem is likely to worsen as the winter moves in, the university which is centered around diversity and fairness to all students, will have to further review their guidelines regarding care of handicap students and accessibility to the LRC.
