This is on a large college campus where I’ve worked for a long time. 10-15 years ago, bikes were everywhere. The university responded by installing some bike lanes and racks at every building. Over the past few years, the number of bike commuters dropped off a cliff. I’m usually the only one I see on an average day. Has anyone else noticed young people have abandoned bicycling? Or has this generation grown up just not riding bikes at all? Or is this just a local issue and not representative of the US as a whole? (🤞) Curious to know what people in other US college towns are seeing.
(Yes, spring semester is over but this photo was from last month)
by Dio_Yuji
10 Comments
No, most places it’s more than ever because more bike infrastructure is being built than ever before
Or perhaps the world outside of campus is hostile towards cyclists?
I remember on my campus it was great place to ride around, but as soon as you left, it was Mad Max. You’d get assaulted by people throwing things at you or at worst, struck by passing motorists, where the cops would just shrug and at best, give them a $50 ticket for failing to yield.
Then there were cell phones 🙄 so sad!
Our college had finals last week. At least half the bikes were stowed by weekend before last so the kids could leave town the minute they finished their last final.
Dunno if that’s the case in your pic, but a possibility.
I like scooters. As long as people are using alternatives to cars. And at school and work especially, people don’t want to show up sweaty or expend too much energy from riding a typical bike.
Plus scooters are smaller and easier to store in a college student’s home.
I also work on a college campus… been here for 25+ years. We never really embraced cycling culture on campus, but pushed a lot of the city around us to introduce biking safety lanes. Which helped tremendously. Now in the last 5+ years or so, escooter dominance is certainly everywhere. I’ve asked a few of my student employees why they prefer escooters over a bike… the answer was pretty universal… smaller and easier to store them in dorm rooms/apartments. The convenience over where to put a scooter wins. And I don’t blame them… when I was in undergrade, bike storage was a huge issue for me as well. We didn’t have these scooters in the 90-2000s.
During classes we have students in the walking their scooters to the classrooms so they are not sitting outside for theft, or for possible rain. Faculty don’t mind them folded up in the corners (for the ones that do fold) or leaning against the wall. I love my bike, but I have to agree the ease of portability is refreshing… and I plan to get one for me and my family. But I also plan to rotate between bike and scooter commuting. I live less than a mile from campus.
Schools in general can be huge hotspots for bike theft (especially in what looks like a quiet corner of the campus), which could be a factor.
The theft problem has only gotten worse with the availability of cordless angle grinders and reciprocating saws. Even a Kryptonite Fahgetaboutit lock can be cut in 60 seconds. And college campuses have always been a target rich environment for thieves.
We just can’t have nice things.
I am in Philadelphia. I don’t know where you’re located, but bicycle commuting here is booming, especially at our universities.
Can I just say I hate idiots who put those scooters in bike racks. What the fuck? Why?