Bike Week rolls in health and transportation education for campus community

Bike racks (shown) and a new bike repair station were highlighted at Anoka-Ramsey Community College during Bike Week in early September. This new initiative by the Coon Rapids Campus Sustainability Committee hopes to reduce parking difficulties and increase wellness.

October 05, 2018

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Sustainability Committee hosted Bike Week in early September at the Coon Rapids Campus to aid in reducing parking difficulties and increasing the health of faculty, staff and students at the college. Events included physical challenges, information sessions and academic discussions, along with door prizes for attendees.

Activities began with the Faculty Park & Ride, a guided tour to campus from various local Park & Ride locations to acclimate college employees with an alternative transportation option for their daily commute.  Bike commute maps were provided to each location and group leaders for each ride, providing participants with an opportunity to exercise and to find convenient bicycle parking near the entrance to campus. Students were invited to a similar tour to Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. After completing the ride to the dam, students were treated to a free lunch, provided by the Student Activities Office, and then a guided return to campus.

The largest turnout of the week occurred during the “Bikes Mean…” academic talk covering biking as an activity, bike culture and the impact of infrastructure. The talk was led by Melody Hoffman, communication studies professor and author of “Bike Lanes are white Lanes: Bicycle Advocacy and Urban Planning”; and Bill Lindeke, writer and sidewalk geographer, author of “Minneapolis-St. Paul Then and Now”. Attendees engaged in conversation on the larger implications of city planning, including the racialization of bike lanes and how identity impacts the perception of a bicyclist, beyond the perspective of bicycling as an activity.

Bike Week organizers have taken a personal approach to sustainability. “Living in St. Paul I’m around 20 miles away from where I need to go, which doesn’t seem like a lot but can be quite the distance by bike,” said event organizer Victoria Downey. “We want to make our community aware that there is variety in public transportation, to help increase options. This can help reduce parking congestion on campus and save our students money.”

Support for the initiative came from within the campus community, and from the community at-large. Donations were provided by local businesses. Pioneer Cycle in Blaine donated items such as water bottles and tail lights which were given away as door prizes to attendees. “Biking once a week, or for part of your commute, you gain fitness and reduce your carbon footprint. Helping to save money and the environment too!”, said Downey.

The Sustainability Committee positions its members to support current best practices in environmental stability at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Their mission is to advocate and encourage future sustainability efforts by administration, faculty, staff and students. Previous efforts have included organizing tours of local recycling plants, partnering with the Sunrise Movement, a national group dedicated to educating students on the environment, and Earth Day events on campus. In May, the college received a Recycling Champion Award from Anoka County Recycles for their efforts to recycle waste on both Cambridge and Coon Rapids campuses.

For more information about Anoka-Ramsey Community College sustainability efforts, visit SustainabilityARCC.com.