The Ohio State University earned national recognition as a silver-level bicycle friendly campus, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The national organization recognizes colleges and universities for promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.
“Ohio State works hard to promote multimodal transportation in support of our sustainability goals,” said Beth Snoke, the university’s Director of Transportation and Traffic Management. “Safety and sustainability remain our top priority and earning a silver rating speaks to the ongoing enhancements that continue to be made on our Columbus campus.”
Ohio State’s university sustainability goals include reducing carbon footprint of the university fleet by 25% by 2025. Efforts include a park once philosophy centered around connectivity through public transit that includes buses, bicycles, scooters and pedestrian friendly pathways.
“We have more than 100,000 people on campus each day and our transit network is designed to allow community members to travel quickly and easily without having to move their vehicle for each class change or new appointment,” said Snoke.
Ohio State improves its overall rating from bronze to silver thanks to new initiatives focused on improving bike access and safety.
In 2019, the university opened a new Buckeye Bike Hub offering bicycle repair and cycling supplies as well as educational clinics about bike maintenance, cycling skills and bike safety. The bike hub is located at the northwest corner of the RPAC and is run by the Office of Student Life.
The League of American Bicyclists measures all applicants on five major categories: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation and planning.
Ohio State is currently updating its Comprehensive Transportation and Parking Plan (CTPP3) with all modes of travel being considered as part of the long-term planning process. In addition, Ohio State features low-speed campus streets and bike parking among its strengths.