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Section of Olentangy Bike Trail Closed for Construction

Author: recalcitrant :: Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:28 pm From OSUToday: Quote: SECTION OF OLENTANGY BIKE TRAIL CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION A section of the Olentangy Bike Trail between John Herrick Drive and Drake Union will be closed today (7/21)-Thursday (8/21) for construction north of the Lincoln Tower basketball court. Users of the trail are advised to follow signs to detour around the closure. Contact: Bo Zhang, zhang.403 (at) osu.edu or 292-0707 I'm curious to see what the detour will be since it's not an area that lends itself to an easy detour route. (4) Replies

Stolen Bike from OSU area June 11

Author: SilverTurtle :: Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:21 pm Hey everyone, I just got back from the OSU campus area, where my bike was stolen. It was locked to a bike rack in front of the Barnes & Noble @ High st. + 11th Ave. Photo Here. I did file a police report + register it with the Stolen Bike Registry. I will probably post some fliers around the area tomorrow, too. If anyone spots this bike in the area please let me know! (8) Replies

Bike OSU has a website!
Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 2:47 pm http://bikeosu.weebly.com Check it out. (0) Replies

Closure of West Campus bike path

Author: geofizz :: Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:54 am In today's OSU Today there was this announcement: Quote: WEST CAMPUS BIKE PATH CLOSED FOR IMPROVEMENTS MAY 19-30 The university’s west campus bike path located between Carmack Road on the east and North Starr Road on the west will be closed for up to two weeks for improvements. The path will be milled and compacted and then new asphalt will be installed. Additionally, areas of the path will be elevated and drain tiles will be added to reduce standing water on the path; the entire path will be raised 1-2 inches and in low areas it will be raised 10-12 inches. An aerial map of the closure can be viewed online. Contact Libby Eckhardt, eckhardt.12@osu.edu or 292-1477 Is this to fix the fact that there's a duck pond that forms on the path any time it rains? Any suggestions for alternate routes? I come from Northstar and Northwest and head to Akerman Road OSU Child Care Center. Turning left onto NB Kenny from EB Kinnear is horrible... (3) Replies

FREE Bicycle Mechanic/Maintenance Workshop

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:10 pm Free workshop to OSU Students April 19th -Sat- from 1pm to 4pm in Haggerty Hall on campus. Please RSVP with me at kocher.51-at-osu.edu. Don't miss this great three hour class taught by Chris Luers of Restoration Bicycle. Learn how to do basic work on your bike yourself and save money. Plus, come meet other cyclists around OSU. See you there! (0) Replies

Anti-cyclist article

Author: meredith :: Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:33 am long, loud *sigh* An article in the OSU Sentinel, campus's conservative press: Quote: An Inconvenient Convenience: The case against campus bicyclists By: Kevin O'Rourke, President and Publisher Posted: 4/9/08 Every quarter starts much the same way: nearly every student can be found crowding the sidewalks and walking to class. But as the weeks slip by, fewer and fewer people walk to class. Most people search for a way to get to class that doesn't involve walking. Planes, trains, and automobiles rarely get close enough to classrooms for most students, so during fall, spring, and summer quarters many turn to bicycles. There's a good chance you might be one of these people. You probably think riding to class with one pant leg up, listening to (insert random Indie band) on your iPod, getting to class quicker, and helping the environment is a totally great idea. Well, if someone hasn't told you yet, let me be the bearer of bad news: riding a bicycle to class is a terrible idea, and if you do, you are only helping to perpetuate a society of inconsiderate douchebaggery. Don't get me wrong, bicycling is great. It strengthens the two largest muscles in the body (the gluteus maximus and the quadriceps), it helps reduce body fat, it has elements of both anaerobic and aerobic exercising which helps improve cardiovascular health, and if nobody else was going to class you would actually get to class quicker. However, thousands of people are going to class. As most people know, cycling is best suited for casual suburban riding, on a bike path, or the Tour de France. Unfortunately, Ohio State is not suburban, has very few bike paths, and is not part of the Tour de France. So while bicyclists may find it more convenient to ride to class, they only serve to further congest traffic on High Street and Lane Avenue and once inside campus, they take up enormous amounts of space on sidewalks generally reserved for the thousands of student pedestrians. Because of these cramped conditions, many non-bicycling students are arriving five, seven, even ten minutes late to class. Wendy Perkins, a sophomore, explains, "I leave my house every day at 9:15 for my 9:30 [class]. Every day I get there right at 9:30. But one day, this guy was walking his bike and taking up the whole sidewalk. I was like, 'Oh my God? Could you take up anymore space?' He ignored me, and I ended up being ten minutes late for class." Wendy's unfortunate incident and others like it aren't unique to Ohio State. Dr. Richard Pennington, a Harvard professor and former Secretary of Transportation, has studied bicycling trends since 1999. According to Dr. Pennington, "Bicycling has always been big on college campuses, but within the last several years there has been a huge increase in riders." Pennington's 2006 High Traffic Bicycling (HTB) report claims "bicycling has grown exponentially for two reasons: youth rebellionism and global warming." Pennington believes that college aged rebellious types, who buy ironic vintage Macys' t-shirts and torn Abercrombie and Fitch jeans, were looking for "new ways to stick it to the man" and bicycles were a way to do that. The number of bicyclists started climbing in the mid-90s, but skyrocketed after Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth hit theaters. "The Greenies have always ridden bicycles, but once Gore's movie came out and going green became cheek, thousands more joined the alternative transportation movement," the HTB reports. Dr. Pennington's original study, Biking on College Campuses: A Simple Alternative to Walking to Class, divided the biking population into three groups: poor college students who couldn't afford a car, new youth rebels, and green revolutionists. But, with the sudden surge of bicyclists via An Inconvenient Truth, the groups have became irreversibly intertwined which led to Dr. Pennington's second study where he found it fitting to create one super group - the High Traffic Bicyclists. He has since split the HTBs into two sub groups: Main Road Cyclists and Sidewalk Cyclists. For the first time anywhere, The Sentinel provides you an exclusive in-depth profile on the HTB sub-groups, which according to Pennington, "Are equally annoying in their own obnoxious ways. READ MORE (24) Replies

Off-campus Ride Share & Carpool
Author: meredith :: Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:25 pm OSU offers a (new?) online service for students to meet others with whom they can carpool to campus. Not many people use the service but perhaps that's just because no one knows about it? Check it out here if you are a student (requires OSU login). And spread the word! (1) Replies

Bike to Work Week - Planning starting soon!

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:59 pm Bike-Folk, We are beginning planning now for National Bike to Work Week in May. There will be two amazing events on campus that week: mission-and-a-movie which will center on transportation and cycling issues, and a Bike Pit Stop (like the one in the fall) where people can get their bikes checked for safety and meet other cyclist. We currently have a partnership with the University Area Enrichment Association. We are seeking partnerships with local bike dealers, Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, bicycle manufacturers and other sponsors to make Bike to Work Week amazing! We are at the heart of changing the way our society uses energy. Sure, we are concerned about climate change, pollution, urban sprawl, traffic congestion and the international effects of oil dependency. But it's more than that. We want to engage the Columbus area in a proactive and positive way. We want to see integrated communities where diversity of all kinds are accepted, including racial diversity, economic diversity, and transportation diversity. We envision a Columbus where riding a bike and walking, are considered normal transportation components, not "alternatives". Since when did self-propulsion become an alternative form of transportation? We need you to make Bike to Work Week a success. We need strong leaders to help coordinate the fun and transformative outreach that occurs during this week. In addition, if you are interested in any of the following support positions, please let me know: marketing/advertising, event coordinator, assistant event coordinator, promoter, registration, volunteer coordinator, safety liaison, graphics and design layout, technology/computer setup, sound equipment management. If you like to be a part of exciting, positive local change, this is a great chance for you to join with others in making cycling and walking a part of the landscape of Central Ohio. We are scheduling our first planning meeting near the end of January, so let me know soon if you would like to be included! Sincerely, Austin Kocher Bike OSU, President (2) Replies

Volunteer Opportunity

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:49 am There are a few big events coming up in March, including a Spring Pit Stop for cyclists on OSU campus where we'll have booths, rides, classes, and some events. We are also working on securing the movie theatre at either the Wexner center and/or the Drexel to show a bike film each night of bike to work week. We have several spots open for volunteers to help with programming, classes, advertisements (you artists out there!), and coordination. You can do as much or as little as you like. If you have an interest in this, please let me know at ackocher-at-gmail-dot-com. No experience is necessary and riders of all levels are needed to make this event inclusive to everyone. Thanks! (4) Replies

Meeting with Gee: notes from last Friday

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:46 am Our meeting with Gee went great last Friday (Dec 14th). He was very receptive and everyone at the meeting had a chance to cooperate. Gee brought with him the person who is in charge of the money at OSU (I don't know his title; VP?). This other dude said that they have the $1.7 Million to finish phase 1 of the bike trail. They actually committed that. However, they said that they have to finish the power station construction first. That's the most tangible thing that came out of it. Our real goal in going was to pledge support for the University becoming more bike friendly and we did that. Perhaps of greatest value was that we shared the OSU bikeways plan with him. I'm not sure how aware of that plan he was, but he has a full-color copy now. Gee's approach to the bikeways plan was that it should be integrated with his many other green initiatives to maximize its effectiveness. He also said he couldn't put money into a bikeways plan if classrooms and teachers don't have basic needs met first. So, in all I think it was a great meeting. At least we nabbed him early on in his career here (well, second career here) and hopefully he'll remember us at the right times. (10) Replies

Gee on WOSU

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:22 pm Dr. Gee was interviewed today on WOSU in his first public appearance since becoming president again this fall. He took questions from the audience, YouTube, and call-ins. I was there at the broadcasting. Gee is an impressively articulate fella with the kind of centrist views that seem so lacking in publicized politics. I had the special opportunity to ask him a question about biking at OSU. It was fortuitous that I followed a question posed by a caller on the question of sustainability on campus. I asked, "how does/will OSU integrate the huge and growing number of bicycles on campus?" He responded that they do see it as important and "in fact, I have a meeting with some cyclists this Friday to talk about what they think should happen." I don't think he realized that I was the one who called that meeting as well. -twisted smile and a cackle...- The moderator also said that, indeed, there were several posts on the YouTube forum about bicycles on campus. Gee acknowledged that he was just informed by the Vice President that there was a "bike path problem". Special thanks to several folks who helped by posting questions on YouTube about biking. The work has paid off. Bit by bit, as we continue to project ourselves into the public forum we will see people...drum roll please... CONSIDERBIKING! Also, funny thing: a gentleman who was there in the audience came up to me afterwards and said that his daughter has started a free bike program at Kenyon College and perhaps I should contact her about how she did it. You can bet I will. That's the news, folks. Thanks for your support and please PLEASE show up for meetings like this and voice a concern for cycling issues. (0) Replies

Why Bike OSU?

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:12 pm I was sitting at the WOSU studios today listening and watching Gee speak. He said something that I was greatly impacted by and I became convinced that I should write about it here. He said that our ability as a nation to have civil, intelligent debate is being eroded away. I though about it in terms of Bike OSU and so decided to make a few things explicit about the goal of Bike OSU and about our mission on campus. Behind our goals of improving biking around the campus area and uniting bikers in a community, there are underlying themes and/or goals that drive us. Here they are. Undergraduate and graduate students are at an impressionable age. One is still developing the habits that will solidify in their late 20's and early 30's. It is a time of great opportunity to impress upon young people that there are a variety of options for one to move themselves around -not just cars. A campus where bicycles are intentionally integrated, is a campus that will graduate individuals who will take with them, at the very least, a respect and understanding of diversity on the roadway. Paradigm changes like this require a sustained collaborative effort on the part of all stakeholders. Now, some people might say they don't care about politics; they just like riding a bike. I'm afraid it is impossible in Columbus to ride a bike and not make a political statement. Should the day come when cycling was a truly neutral act, there would be no work left to do because we will have become the utopian idea of an integrated city. We're not even close right now. There are lots of people who just like to bike; they are the children in the park and the casual riders on the trail. People who just like to bike don't organize themselves into mass rides. People who just like to bike don't convert their bikes into fixed-wheels and do alley-cat races. People who just like to bike don't tough out the snow and rain through the cold winter months. To bike in Columbus is to make a statement, and that statement has political implications. We would do better to recognize those implications and understand them at the very least. Our greatest strength is cooperation. I am guilty of complaining about more than I am willing to take responsibility for. Someone once told me that complaining is seeing a problem but refusing to fix it. At Bike OSU, I want to be a fixer. I hope that you will be willing to join with Bike OSU in making small, incremental changes on and around campus to builder a better community and a better world. (0) Replies

Letter to Gee

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:07 am Watch this thread. I will be posting my letter to Gee for feedback. I invite everyone to post comments about it. I also encourage everyone to write their own letter to Gee. This can make a huge difference. The time is so ripe right now and I think Gee is receptive to this. We just need to keep up some momentum to push them in the right direction. Here's my three preliminary points (more complete letter to come): 1. finish the damn bike trail (okay, without the choice word) 2. create office for pedestrian and bike affairs coordinator 3. create bike transportation center where students can rent bikes, get fixes, and take classes (on how to ride on the street, you mo-fo's!) What do you think? (2) Replies

Bike OSU Weekly Update

Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am Dear Friends, I hope you all are finding ways to ride your bike despite the cold. Regardless, winter is a great time to get stuff done inside when it's not as fun outside. So here's some great stuff to do while you can. Meeting with Gee, Nov 16th 1pm We can still take 2 or 3 more students to go to a meeting with our fine OSU president, Gordon Gee. We already have representatives from around the community and campus attending. We will be voicing our solidarity as bikers and our support of the university taking a leadership role in building a better bikeable campus that is safe for bikers, pedestrians, and cars. This is a very unique opportunity, the first of it's kind at OSU so don't miss it! You must RSVP with me right away. Nov 28, 6pm: movie night: "intro to bike culture" Want to learn more about bike culture? Come watch "Return of the Scorcher" and "(We aren't blocking traffic) We are Traffic!" See the history and international popularity of bikes in "Return of the Scorcher" with great footage from all over the globe. Then see how Critical Mass got started in San Francisco in "We are Traffic!". No RSVP needed. Location will be announced this week. OSU Bicyclists' Hang Out, Tuesdays at Kafe Kerouc 8pm-10pm Come chill out and meet other bikers. No agenda, just a place to be who you are. Get involved! Now is a great time to get involved with Bike OSU. We are looking for up to 3 people to work as event coordinators. Responsibilities are simple: have a fun idea and we'll help you make it happen. Think: bike rides, movie night, book club, etc. As always, I'm here to help. Austin Kocher 614-406-5037 (0) Replies

What would you like to see change about OSU?
Author: austinkocher :: Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:59 am As it relates to bikes, of course. We can't change the cost of tuition. What about making an Office of Bicycle Affairs? Dedicated or recommended bike routes through campus? More bike racks? Fix the bike path that runs through campus? $50 credit to students who register road-safe bikes with OSU as incoming freshmen? (15) Replies