Sydney
Hembree
Jour
271
September
27, 2012
New
Bike Lanes
416 Words
New Bike Lanes Pop Up Around Oxford
 |
| Jasmine Warren likes the idea of the new bike lanes, but she doubts students will take full advantage of them. |
Oxford, Miss. – Bikers and drivers question the safety of the new bike lanes being built around Oxford.
Sydney Whittle, a first semester transfer student majoring in pre-pharmacy, marvels at the idea of riding her bike to campus.
Sydney Whittle, a first semester transfer student majoring in pre-pharmacy, marvels at the idea of riding her bike to campus.
“Since
my last school was based in a city, where there were no bike lanes, when I came
here and saw a lot of bikes, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s neat. I wish I could ride
my bike’,” she said.
While
Whittle wants to bike to school instead of catching the bus or slogging through
traffic, she admits she is concerned about the limited amount of space between
the road and the bike lane.
“I
would bring my bike next year if I had proof that the new bike lanes were safe
to use without getting hit,” she said.
Janna
Montgomery, the senior choral secretary for the Office of Choral Activities, knows
of some bike lanes found along Old Taylor Road, but confesses she has not heard
a lot about the new lanes.
“I
have heard of some accidents, though, where cars get too close to riders, such
as the Department Chair, Dr. Gates, who was hit while riding on the highway,”
she said.
Jasmine
Warren, a fifth year biochemistry major, agrees that biking is an easy way to
get to campus, but it is also dangerous, for the bikers and for the drivers.
She thinks that the bike lanes are a great idea, since they get riders off the
actual road, where drivers have to dodge around them.
“I
have had trouble before with bikers when they try to ride through traffic. They
don’t even stop at the stop signs, which could potentially cause accidents,”
she said.
A
majority of people who live off campus take the bus or bike or carpool to
school. Warren admits she thinks only 30% of people will use the bike lanes to
their fullest extent.
“Even
though some people complain about parking and traffic jams, they are still
going to drive their car up here. To them, it is faster, or they will catch the
bus,” she said. “It is highly unlikely for people to decide they will buy a
bike because of the bike lanes.”
Warren’s
solution to this lack of interest in the bike lanes is to advertise to the
incoming freshmen.
“If
you get to the freshmen first and advertise the new bike lanes, then I believe
you would probably make a better and lasting impact on campus,” she said.
Contact
Information
662-915-5115
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