Campus News
March 18, 2011
Emory gets national bike honor
Emory has been named as a national Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists.
The honor was awarded through the Bicycle Friendly America program of the League of American Bicyclists, considered the primary advocacy organization for cycling.
“It’s exciting to have recognition for the effort we put into promoting cycling and incentivizing people to adopt the bicycle as a form of transportation,” says Jamie Smith, director of Bike Emory.
Award-winning incentives cited for Emory included:
• Discounts for students, faculty and staff on new bicycles and accessories;
• Pre-ordering discounts on new bikes including a free helmet, lock, delivery and 90 days of free maintenance;
• Twice-weekly, on-campus mobile repair center; and
• Parking pass and Guaranteed Ride Home program eligibility.
Smith notes that while other universities have had “an established cycling culture” for decades, “we didn’t have a biking program and coordinator until 2007.”
He adds, “This award is just a new starting line for us; it’s not the final accomplishment.”
Bike Emory will use the award to help grow cycling as transportation at Emory and to boost infrastructure, incentives, support and education.
The League of American Bicyclists provides in-depth feedback on the award application, Smith says, which Bike Emory will use to make decisions and focus on the future.
