Comments on: UK plans bicycle permit parking

By: » UK proposal, and other two-wheel news The Bluegrass and Beyond

» UK proposal, and other two-wheel news The Bluegrass and Beyond — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:07:22 +0000

[...] a couple of articles in the Kentucky Kernel student newspaper, officials might be reconsidering the fee. But [...]

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:53:20 +0000

What people are complaining about is not so much that they have to pay $20 (or will in 2010) , but the regulation of something that has not thus far been regulated, nor has it needed to be. Bike racks are indeed an additional expense on the university, but a 12 bike stanchion style bike rack (http://www.bikeracks.com/html/st_n__ae_.html) is $1700 dollars, a pittance to a university spending over half a billion on its hospitals, a quarter billion on research and $31.65 million on its new basketball coach.

Bike paths carry loads where 300lbs of bike and rider zip along on relatively narrow paths. The infrastructure is more akin to a wide sidewalk than a major road. In the spirit of fairness, I ask where is the pedestrian fee for those UK students whose inablity to hover daily does irreparable harm to the sidewalks?

Look UK, more bikes on your campus is good PR and less money you have to invest on car parking infrastructure, which is massively more expensive. 9 bikes will fit into the footprint of a Hummer H2. If you hit a threshhold where 20% of your campus bikes and “bicycle congestion” is a big problem, by all means levy a student fee and expand bike lanes. Your bikers like that biking to campus is hassle-free, and requires neither passes nor fees. You want more of them, not less.

By: Tim Butterfield

Tim Butterfield — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:49:21 +0000

Only in Kentucky would they tax you for exercising. Seems to fit well with Kentucky’s penchant for lack of sidewalks and pedestrians NOT having the right of way.

By: CE

CE — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:17:37 +0000

First of all, I’m getting so tired of people blaming Calipari’s salary on everything. UK does not direclty pay his salary! Boosters and donors pay for it so it has NOTHING to do with this fee! Nor does it have anything to do with any of the tuition increases or budget decreases. Stop complaining!!!

That being said, I do think the fee is asinine!! No, $15 is not a lot of money but it makes no sense! Why would we need new bike racks? This seems another way to generate more money from students and staff. I pay for a parking permit to park my car in the over crowded garages on campus but when it is nice, I like to ride my bike as often as possible. I love to ride and be outdoors and get the exercise. So now you want me to pay for both? This does seem to discourage bike riding rather then encourage it. I wish more people would ride a bike. And I don’t believe for a minute the reasons UK Transportation gave for the new fee. And yes, this is not until March 2010 but as someone said, this gives the new incoming students and staff no say so. Why were we not given the chance to voice our opinions before this was set? Why doesn’t UK care more about their students and staff? It is all about the money! Thanks L. T.!!!

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:21:53 +0000

Lee Todd, Jr. 859 257-1701 ltodd@email.uky.edu
Stuart Kearns 859 257-6362 gskear2@email.uky.edu
Mayor Newberry 859 425-2255 mayor@lfucg.com

By: James G.

James G. — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:51:43 +0000

I would also like to point out that with the passing of the stimulus bill in 2008 (remember the one with the $700 billion price tag?) YOU as a commuter are eligible for a tax break of up to $20 a month to pay for repairs/equipment/maintenance on a bicycle used for transportation to work. To those of you that actually read more than your own comment, here’s the link that shows that the GOVERNMENT will actually pay for your pass:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/1878.html

http://www.commuteconnection.com/assets/pdf/Bicycle%20Commuter%20Federal%20Benefit.pdf

PLEASE do not delete this post as spam for the links, these two links alone should silence anyone who both goes to school and works. Everyone else will most likely have their parents pay for their bike parking pass along with everything else.

By: James G.

James G. — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:29:42 +0000

IT’S FREE UNTIL MARCH 2010

By: Andrea Ramsey

Andrea Ramsey — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:04:00 +0000

How much is it going to cost to pay more Meter Maids to walk around for hours upon hours writing tickets/impounding bikes? If people are worried about bikes being stolen, the registration could be free (or they could go online and register with the local police department but lord knows that’s too complicated), but I know several people who have very expensive bikes and race for UK who would really prefer not to ruin the paint job.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:56:48 +0000

This really is ridiculous. Not only is tuition increased 9% last year and this year, but not we have to pay to ride our bikes to school. I really do not think you( University of Kentucky Transportation) have weighed the consequences if this was to be implemented. And Yet this is supposed to be a Green School, right. Why don’t you use a little chuck of that money from these new and lavish buildings around campus to support your cause, instead of making the college students pay a fee for riding their bikes during this recession.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:44:52 +0000

How can we as students stop this? This is horrible, even the United States government doesn’t charge a tax on bikes.

UK Parking is nothing but greedy and they don’t even pay for over half of the bike racks on campus. How about the ones outside dorms installed when the dorm was built and not paid for by UK parking. They are nothing but greedy people wasting paychecks that could be spent toward other things. (despite if they make more money in tickets a day than they are paid) It is in my opinion a waste of resources for progressing this university towards top 20. And there is no way they will not lose money monitoring bikes.