Dear students, Faculty and Staff,

Welcome to the 2011-12 academic year. As you can certainly see, construction on the Central Corridor light rail transit line and work on a variety of campus projects has dramatically changed the campus landscape since the end of Spring Semester. Narrow sidewalks in construction zones, significantly increased traffic levels on Pleasant, Harvard and Fourth Streets and on University Avenue, and heavy equipment throughout campus mean that staying safe will be the responsibility of every pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist on campus.

Safety is Easy; the Pavement is Hard
Our new safety campaign – Safety is Easy, the Pavement is Hard – is designed to remind students, faculty, staff and visitors that following some very simple safety guidelines will go a long way toward keeping everyone safe. This means that bicyclists must stay off sidewalks and stop at red lights and stop signs; pedestrians must wait for walk signs and not tune out when their ear buds are in; and motorists must stay alert and watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists.

While the Safety is Easy campaign will help remind you to be safe and the University of Minnesota Police will be out enforcing traffic and safety laws, safety is ultimately the responsibility of everyone in the University community. Please do your part to stay safe and don’t be shy about reminding others to be safe as well. With that in mind, we have also worked closely with the Metropolitan Council and Central Corridor contractors to ensure bus drivers and construction workers drive safely on and around campus.

Bicycles on Campus
The University of Minnesota has a well-deserved reputation as a bike-friendly campus and is committed to bicycle safety. New bike lanes are now clearly marked on Pleasant Street and in Dinkytown; the new University of Minnesota Bike Center will open soon in the Oak Street Ramp; and Boynton Health Services is once again offering significant cost savings on helmets and headlights.

This year, bicycle riders must match that commitment to safety. If you ride a bike, please know and obey campus bicycle rules and state bicycle laws. Most notably, bicycles are not allowed to be ridden on campus sidewalks, except in specially marked areas. And like any vehicle on the street, bicycles must obey traffic laws are and are required to stop at stop signs and red lights. University of Minnesota Police will make a special effort this fall to enforce bicycle laws, and bicycle riders who disregard their own safety and the safety of pedestrians on campus will be held accountable.

Resources
Without question, campus streets and sidewalks are difficult to navigate. I encourage you to use the resources listed below and explore your transportation options and alternate routes. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation.

Parking and Transportation Services
www.umn.edu/pts/mass%20email/StartofFall.html

Central Corridor LRT Construction
www.centralcorridor.org

Yes, you are reading too far into it. The whole email:
Are you assuming that they will no longer enforce traffic laws for motorists? The rules still apply to them.

The first part of the email treated all travelers on campus similarly. The second part regarding bikes is there because there have been a lot of bicycle related changes on campus recently.

Have you seen the new bike lanes? Not just a line by the curb but actual lanes! It is now reasonably possible to bike around campus in a safe and legal way. I've been on campus in various capacities for over a decade and I remember when Union and Pillsbury were the only bike lanes around. A few years ago they even removed the bike lane on Pillsbury before a flurry of complaints led to its reinstatement. They are trying to get cyclists off the sidewalks (where they shouldn't be anyway) to try to reduce the number of cyclist/pedestrian collisions. I'm sure you're aware of your surroundings and can handle your bike when riding at the U but you're probably one of the few who have a clue. The way most people ride (and walk!) around campus is frightening at times and always puts me in a bad mood when I have to travel through during the day.

There is also mention of the availability of lights and helmets and the arrival of a new bike center on campus. With these new accommodations they are simply asking cyclists to hold up their end of the bargain and ride like they deserve them. The police will simply be enforcing laws that they have always had the authority to enforce. I hope you've enjoyed riding all willy-nilly in the past (I know I have) but times are changing and we cyclists need to start acting responsibly if we want any respect.

Also, they always do these kinds of things at the start of the semester - like jaywalking crackdowns at Washington & Church or Union St (not so much an issue right now) - and people will still bitch about getting a ticket and claim ignorance even though everyone got the email.

After a year in which 2 peds were hit by cars (granted one was far from a typical drunk-driving incident) and we get to see a ghost bike on 4th and 15th, it seems bad form to end an e-mail ostensibly touting the viability of bicycle commuting with "by the by, we told the police to pay you guys (cyclists) special mind."

Putting singletrack through the Washington ave construction project would make my commute safer and funner.

young adults

Funny.

Have you seen the new bike lanes?

Riding down there today I must say it's not bicycles that are the problem.

Ride there next week when students come back and I bet you will change your mind. The students who ride bikes (compared to the everyday-type cyclist) are morons on the road

one does also need to realize that every fall there is a large influx of young adults that more than likely do not fully understand the proper way to ride a bike in the city.