In Summer 2020, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facilities & Services (F&S) department purchased a National Bicycle Registration system through Project 529 for campus and community. Learn more at Bike at Illinois' Register Your Bike page (All, Last week’s weather was brutal and thus, very slow for us.
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Bicycle Related Projects
These are the most interesting bike related projects, as of August 2015.
Below this project collection listing is a map showing the projects which have a location. Please scroll to the bottom to see it.
Project Listing
| Theme | Project | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 2009 Bicycle Master Plan | Completed |
The 2009 Campus Bike Plan was started as a student project, and completed by Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, Morgan Johnston. This document was used to prioritize street improvements for bicyclists, and it was a contributing factor in reaching Bicycle Friendly University - bronze level status. |
| Transportation | 2014 Campus Bike Plan | Completed |
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has completed and approved the 2014 Campus Bike Plan, a master plan to direct our efforts for future bicycle infrastructure improvements and program development. The 2014 Campus Bike Plan outlines the various ways in which the University should improve for bicycles in the coming years. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Ambassador Program | Ongoing |
Bicycle Ambassadors are bicycling enthusiasts who are working to improve bicycle culture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Interested students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to apply to become a Bicycle Ambassador by completing our online form. Applications are now being accepted, and the Bike Ambassador program was launched on campus in September, 2013. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Counts | Ongoing |
To better understand the demand for bicycle infrastructure, programming, and services, as well as to better track the impact of past improvements, regular bicycle counts are recommended for the University to know exactly how many bikes are on campus at any given time throughout each school year. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Education | Ongoing |
Bicycling is the most sustainable mode of transportation. It is fun, convenient, and healthy, yet many people do not utilize this excellent travel mode because they need more information. The University is working with the communities to provide bicycle safety training, awareness events, and lessons in maintaining a bicycle. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Parking & Storage | Ongoing |
The university currently has roughly 5,000 bicycle parking spaces on campus. There is a need to upgrade some of this to current standards, to add additional, new bike parking, to develop covered bike parking to protect bikes from incelment weather, and to identify opportunities for long-term storage of bikes during off-seasons. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Registration | Ongoing |
Bicycle registration is primarily a method to assist with returning stolen or lost bikes when they are recovered. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Safety Classes | Ongoing |
In order to help ensure that students, employees, and visitors who choose to bicycle on campus are following the rules of the road and acting in a safe, predictable manner, the University works with outside partners to offer bicycle safety classes on campus and in the surrounding community. In the future, we also hope to develop courses and educational opportunities specifically catered to the unique campus audiences, such as incoming freshmen and transfer students, international students, and so on. |
| Transportation | Bicycle Safety Materials | Ongoing |
The university is partnering with local agencies to produce and promote a number of different educational materials on bicycle safety to encourage and promote safe cycling habits. These include: |
| Transportation | Bicycle Safety Posters by CCB | Completed |
One simple and frequent method for spreading safety information related to bicycles is a printed or digital poster. As campus transitions to more and more digital signs, the bicycle education materials are transitioning to digital displays. This reduces paper waste, with a minimal increase in energy use. |
| Transportation | Bike at Illinois Website and Campaign | In Progress |
Biking on the University of Illinois campus and in Champaign-Urbana is an excellent option for much of the community. Illinois has been recognized as a bronze-level bicycle friendly university by the League of American Bicyclists. The City of Champaign has been recognized as a bronze-level bicycle friendly community and Urbana as a gold-level bicycle friendly community. |
| Transportation | Bike Lockers | Proposed |
Bike Lockers are designed to hold an entire bicycle, within an enclosed locker. These can be very convenient for bicycle commuters who want to have extra security for their bicycle. They provide shelter from the elements and there is usually additional storage for books, bags, and such, within the space for the bicycle. The University does not currently have any bike lockers on campus. |
| Transportation | Bike Sharing | Ongoing |
Bike sharing is a system for sharing bicycles on a short-term basis. On the Urbana campus bike sharing includes both hourly and semester-long rentals, departmentally-owned bikes for employees, and bicycles available to specific student groups. The University, in collaboration with the cities of Champaign and Urbana, also offers short-term Dockless Bike Share through VeoRide (started in September 2018) to the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Another Dockless Bike Share company, Gotcha Mobility, has applied to bring more bikes to the campus and community. |
| Transportation | Bike Sharing at Sustainability Living Learning Community | Ongoing |
The Sustainability Living Learning Community (LLC) and Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall (LAR) is starting a bike sharing program for the LLC residents. The program will start with about six bikes for approximately 120 residents. Bikes can be checked out for up to a day, and LLC community members will help maintain the bikes through membership at The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign. |
| Transportation | Bike Sharing Feasibility Study | Completed |
In 2011, the Student Sustainability Committee funded a Bike Sharing Feasibility Study, in order to assess whether a bicycle sharing program would be feasible and desirable on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Campus. |
| Transportation | Bike Shelter at Flagg Hall | In Progress |
Bicycle Shelter is an enclosed structure where bicycles may be stored. This Bike Shelter is 14' x 63', and it can accommodate up to 84 bicycles in two tiers. It was purchased from Ground Control Systems in 2018, and was initially planned to be installed to the West of Main Library. However, due to contruction conflicts, the location had to be changed. In 2019, several locations were identified and examined, for example, the Psychology Building and North of Henry Aministration Building (HAB). |
| Transportation | Bikeway Conceptual Designs | Completed |
Masters of Urban Planning student, Holly Nelson, worked with F&S Transportation Demand Management to create conceptual drawings for each segment of the 2014 Campus Bike Plan. These files are available as pdf, and posted here. |
| Transportation | Campus Bike Center | Ongoing |
The Campus Bicycle Center — a collaboration between the University of Illinois and The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign — is dedicated to empowering individuals with knowledge about how to repair and maintain bicycles and encouraging mode-shift away from single-occupancy vehicles. This educational center offers hands-on experiential learning that students can’t get in a classroom. By empowering people with the ability to fix a bicycle and providing a connection between the campus and the community, the Bicycle Center promotes bicycling, collaboration, and community spirit. |
| Transportation | Collect Cyclist Feedback | Ongoing |
F&S Transportation Demand Management (TDM) continues to improve efforts to make the Urbana campus more bicycle friendly.TDM’s latest initiative is a “Campus Bicycle Feedback Form” that will allow anyone to share their suggestions for bicycle-related improvements on campus. |
| Transportation | C-U Area Bicycle Map | Ongoing |
Champaign County Bikes works with the League of Illinois Bicyclists to produce a Champaign-Urbana Bicycle Map, and the Office of the Dean of Students funds and distributes thousands of these bike maps on campus each year. The map includes comfort rating for various roads in town and it notes the difficult intersections from a cycling perspective. It includes a call out section focusing on the campus area, and the back of the map features a number of safety tips and resources. |
| Transportation | C-U Bike to Work Day | Ongoing |
In 2010, Champaign-Urbana hosted the first annual C-U Bike to Work (and School) Day on May 4. The annual event now features close to 800 members of the community committing to ride their bicycle to work on the day, as a way to aknowledge and thank regular bicycle commuters and encourage and invite first-time riders. |
| Transportation | C-U Sharing the Road Video | Completed |
The cities of Urbana and Champaign worked together to produce a bicycle education video to introduce the public to the bicycle infrastructure that is being installed around both cities and to teach motorists and bicyclists how to interact with each other on the road. This 14 minute video, entitled C-U Sharing the Road was filmed on local C-U streets and features many local C-U bicyclists. The video was filmed, edited, and produced by Urbana Public Television. Topics covered in the program include: |
| Transportation | Cycling Savvy Courses | Completed | |
| Transportation | Departmental Bike Sharing | Ongoing |
Departmental Bike Sharing is a concept where University Departments would purchase a small number of bicycles to be made available to staff, faculty and graduate students for on-campus use during working hours. Want to discuss options or interest in departmental bike share? Email bike@illinois.edu to get information and talk to a staff member that can give you more information. |
| Transportation | Dockless Bike Sharing | Ongoing |
Dockless bike share programs began in our community in Fall 2018. Although it is not a service provided by campus, F&S is available to help answer questions about the program established in a collaboration with the university, the City of Champaign, and the City of Urbana. More information is available on the Fact Sheet below and in the Frequently Asked Questions in the Bike Sharing Blog post below. For further questions, contact Facilities & Services at bike@illinois.edu. |
| Transportation | Encourage Active Transportation | Ongoing |
The University can be a leader in Active Transportation by encouraging students, employees, and visitors to get out of the car-centric mentality. People on campus can walk, bike, take a bus, ride with a friend, or use a Zipcar to get around. It is simple and healthy to not own a car on campus. |
| Transportation | Encourage Bicycle Use | Ongoing |
The University is working to make cycling safer for everyone by improving the infrastructure for bicycling as well as the educational opportunities made available to cyclists, but it is also working to encourage new riders to try bicycling as a method of transportation. Programs such as Bike to Work Day are designed to encourage new cyclists. Bike Sharing is under discussion as an opportunity to provide bicycles to more users on campus. Finally, the University is exploring ways to incentivize bicycle commuting for its employees. |
| Transportation | Enforcement for Safe Cycling | Ongoing |
The University aims to foster a safe environment for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists on campus. To ensure that bicyclists are abiding by the appropriate rules, the University will enforce the Illinois Vehicle Code and the University Bike Code, and also encourage cyclists to register their bikes. |
| Transportation | Engineer for Bikes | Ongoing |
Bicycle lanes, paths, parking and repair stations all help to make the campus more bicycle-friendly, and encourages campus users to travel and commute by bike. The University is working to improve existing features, and aims to create a network of high quality infrastructure that supports, encourages, and enables safe bicycling behavior. |
| Transportation | Evaluation & Planning for Bicycles | Ongoing |
Continued evaluation and planning are needed to ensure that the efforts of the university relating to bicycles continue to address current needs. With ongoing evaluation and planning of bicycle improvement efforts, the university will also be able to assess whether those efforts are indeed achieving stated goals and objectives. The following steps are important in continuing to understand the issues facing bikes on campus, and will help ensure that the progress toward developing a more bicycle friendly campus are able to continue. |
| Transportation | F&S Indoor Bike Parking | Cancelled |
The Facility Standards for campus do not permit bicycles to be brought into buildings. This is due to the impact on maintenance required for interior spaces when bicycles are brought into hallways, stairwells, and individual rooms. However, there is a need for sheltered bicycle parking during winter months. Therefore, F&S has worked to design a prototype indoor bike parking system. The preliminary design shows that some interior spaces can be retrofitted to include indoor bike parking. These spaces must be approved by the Architecture Review Committee, and they must follow all safe |
| Transportation | FY09 SSC Bike Parking Upgrades | Completed |
The goal of this project is to provide standard bicycle parking at three locations on campus: Freer Hall, the Undergraduate Library, and the Agricultural Engineering Sciences Building. This will encourage bicycle riding and support the Campus Area Transportation Study (CATS) mission “to better accommodate pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle movements in a more user-friendly environment.” This is also one of the amenities recommended by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Multi-Modal Transportation Study recommendation to “provide other amenities to accommodate existing bi |
| Transportation | FY10 Bike Parking Survey | Completed |
In 2010, an informal survey was distributed online for campus users to complete. This survey was focused primarily on getting the campus' opinion about where new and improved bike parking was most needed. The information collected helped define the priorities for improved bike parking as funding becomes available. This survey also contained some simple questions about various other bicycle related topics, such as bike sharing, shower facilities, and registration systems. |
| Transportation | FY11 SSC Bike Parking Upgrades | Completed |
After the success of the first SSC funded bike parking upgrade, F&S requested additional funding for more bike parking, two air pumps, and partial funding for a bicycle path at Hazelwood from Orchard Downs to the UI Research Park. |
| Transportation | FY12 SSC Bike Parking Upgrades | Completed |
In FY12, the Student Sustainability Committee approved $225,000 to upgrade a number of bike parking locations on campus. Facilities & Services is completing the work to upgrade these locations by the end of Summer 2013. |
| Transportation | Illini Bikes | Completed |
The UIUC Pilot Bike Share program is a proposal for a two year pilot bike share program. This pilot program will be a 50 bike fleet. It will be using a new approach to bike sharing through smart locks. Smart locks contain all the technology for the bike-sharing program linked to a smart phone. The smart locks will allow for versatility in the type of bikes to use within the system and where the bikes could be located. iSEE is exploring a collaboration with BitLock for the smart locks and Neutral Cycle for the bikes. |
| Transportation | Illinois Cross-Campus Bicycles (ICCB) | Ongoing |
The Illinois Cross-Campus Bicycles (ICCB) program is a bike sharing program within the departments of Kinesiology and Community Health, and is available for the faculty, staff, and paid graduate students of each department. This program was founded by Professor Wojciech Chodzko-Zajko in 2008 and has been running successfully since then. |
| Transportation | Improve Reporting and Metrics for Bicycles | In Progress |
There are many metrics that the University needs to evaluate the success of bicycle programming efforts. The University aims to improve and increase the rate of reporting on bike thefts and crashes to better understand changing trends for safety and security of bicycles on campus. |
| Transportation | Incentives for Biking | Proposed |
As the University is committed to reducing automobile traffic in the campus core to reduce emissions and increase pedestrian safety, incentives and benefits for bicycling will assist with this goal. To encourage more people to ride a bike to campus, programs could be implemented.
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| Transportation | Increase Bicycle Use | Ongoing |
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 4, objective 5, is "Implement the Campus Bike Plan on the schedule noted in that plan. Notable deadlines include full implementation of new bikeway facilities by FY25, bike parking within 150 feet of every building in the core of campus by FY20, and bike rentals by FY20." The campus is home to an estimated 10,000 cyclists, including students, staff, and faculty. |
| Transportation | Indoor Bike Parking | Proposed |
The University is exploring options to provide indoor storage for bicycles, both for regular daily use by cyclists, and for long-term storage options for students leaving on break. Currently University policies restrict campus buildings from allowing bicycles indoors, so these efforts will require policy changes as well as physical changes to create a safe and protected space indoors for bicycles. |
| Transportation | Integrate Bicycles into Course Curriculum | Ongoing |
In addition to out-of-classroom educational opportunities promoting bicycle safety, there are growing academic opportunities to engage students in bicycle planning and promotion within the classroom. |
| Transportation | Japan House and Arboretum Bicycle Parking | Completed |
Japan House and the University of Illinois Arboretum request funding to provide bike racks on their grounds. There are currently no available bike racks in the 57-acre Arboretum and Japan House grounds. Japan House is the site of University classes and the Arboretum is frequently used as a resource for classes from units such as Landscape Architecture, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. In addition, the Arboretum and the Japan House Gardens are a major recreational resource for students, faculty and staff and the general public. |
| Transportation | League of American Bicyclists Courses | Ongoing | |
| Transportation | Light the Night | Ongoing |
Light the Night is an annual free bicycle light giveaway, funded by the Campus Area Transportation Study (CATS) agencies: the University of Illinois, C-U MTD, the City of Urbana and the City of Champaign. The Bike Project has been a partner group organizing the event, and in 2016, was a funder as well. Since 2008, volunteers have helped to install over 800 sets of bicycle lights each year. |
| Transportation | Lock Your Bike Right (LYBR) | Ongoing |
Lock Your Bike Right is a project to increase bicycle safety awareness among students. The idea for this event was developed by AdBuzz students and Sarthak Prasad (at F&S). This event is specifically focused towards students. |
| Transportation | Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center | Completed |
The Campus Bike Center is offering a series of bike low-cost mechanics classes throughout the fall semester. All classes are open to students, staff, faculty and the general public. Unless otherwise noted, classes are at 7pm on the date indicated, at the Campus Bike Center, 608 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Champaign. Bicycles, parts, and tools will be provided for the duration of each class, and no previous experience is needed. Winterize your Bike |
| Transportation | Motorist Education about Bicycles | Proposed |
The Bicycle Coordinator should partner with local police enforcement, safety educators, and advocacy groups to produce an educational pamphlet for motorists about how to drive safely with bikes. Many of the 'share the road' principals and concepts can be included, as well as technical legal requirements (like 3' passing laws) and helpful explanations, perhaps in a Q&A format. Example laws to include: |
| Transportation | Multimodal Corridor Enhancement Project (MCORE) | In Progress |
The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD), City of Champaign, City of Urbana, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are partnering to improve mobility in our communities core through a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant. The $35M MCORE Project is unprecedented in our community’s history and will have a transformative impact. MCORE Project construction is anticipated to start in September of 2016 and continue into 2019, covering five separate project areas to improve key urban transportation corridors. |
| Transportation | Multi-Modal Transportation Study | Completed |
In 2007, the University hired a consultant to review the campus multi-modal transportation and make recommendations for improved campus safety. The study included recommendations for improved campus transportation for all modes, many of which have been implemented. The results of the study helped inform the transportation section of the 2010 iCAP. |
| Transportation | Option for Bikes in Buildings | Proposed |
The Facility Standards for campus do not permit bicycles to be brought into buildings. This is due to the impact on maintenance required for interior spaces when bicycles are brought into hallways, stairwells, and individual rooms. However, there is a need for sheltered bicycle parking during winter months. The F&S Pilot program will inform future efforts for indoor bike parking for buildings on campus. |
| Transportation | Provide Shower Facilities for Cyclists | Completed |
Many encouragement programs for cycling address the needs of cyclists who choose to commute via bicycle. In some cases, the cyclist arrives on campus feeling sweaty and would like to freshen up before beginning the work or school day. To this end, it is convenient if showers are provided for bicycle riders to use on campus. The Business Instructional Facility (BIF) and Lincoln Hall have bicyclist showers for the staff and approved users. This option should be provided to other campus cyclists, to help encourage more bike riding. |
| Transportation | Provide Working Bikes for University Employees | Ongoing |
This project involves encouraging more bicycle uses for employees. Packages can be sent out and delivered through the use of a bicycle. Bicycles can also be used for hauling objects to specific locations with the help of special equipment built by the Campus Bike Center. Student and Staff employees will be involved in the process. Anyone that might want to recieve more information or want to see the bicycle in person, contact Lily Wilcock, Active Transportation Coordinator at F&S. |
| Transportation | Reduce Bicycle Theft on Campus | In Progress |
Like any large community with many bicycles, bike theft is a problem in Champaign-Urbana. Bike theft is a real barrier that prevents theft victims from riding bicycles, and discourages others from bringing high-quality bicycles to campus. The University aims to reduce bike thefts on campus by providing better, more secure bicycle parking and storage facilities, a more robust bicycle registration system, and by working with local police enforcement, bicycle shops, and community groups to identify theft deterrents on campus. |
| Transportation | Reduce Cars (Vehicle Miles Traveled) on Campus | Ongoing |
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 4, objective 4, is "Reduce the percentage of staff trips made using single-occupancy vehicles from 65% to 55% by FY20, 50% by FY25, and 45% by FY30." In order to have a sizable impact on transportation emissions, campus will need a multi-faceted program that encourages and educates the entire University community on active transportation options. Successful transportation demand management programs incorporate incentives for commuters to switch from Single Occupa |
| Transportation | Sheltered Bike Parking at CLSL | Completed |
The goal of this project is to construct an area for students, graduate students, faculty, and staff who frequent the Chemical and Life Sciences Building and Roger Adams Laboratory to stow their bicycles in a secure location throughout the day (or night) that is sheltered from the elements. Proposed locations of this structure would be either one of the grassy spaces between these two buildings on the south side courtyard. |
| Transportation | TakeTheBike.com | Completed |
TakeTheBike.com is a mobile website created by Professor Ming Kuo’s Fall 2012 environmental psychology class. The website is meant to help cyclists in Champaign-Urbana get around more safely and efficiently, and to encourage more people to bike. Features of the site includes resources for repairing your bike, resources about safety, information and tips from cyclists in Champaign-Urbana, and an interactive Google map that shows resources for cyclists. |
| Transportation | Traffic Citations | Ongoing |
Bicycles riding on streets are required to follow the Illinois Vehicle Code. Off-streets, they must follow the University Bike Code. The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) are empowered to issue warnings and citations to cyclists who are not following these respective laws. |
| Transportation | 'UI Bikes' LINC Class | Completed |
Each semester, Facilities & Services works with the Learning in Community (LINC) program as a project partner for the UI Bikes course section. Working closely with the Campus Bicycle Coordinator, students learn about cycling issues on campus including planning, infrastructure, safety, education, and enforcement. |
| Transportation | University Bicycle Ordinance | Completed |
The Campus Administrative Manual includes the requirement to follow the University Bicycle Ordinance, which enforces safe cycling behavior on all off-road university property, including sidewalks, shared use paths, and bicycle paths. |
| Transportation | Upgrade Bike Parking U-loops | Ongoing |
The existing bicycle parking on campus has some areas that are in top-notch condition, some areas that are so worn-down that they are no longer functional, and some areas that are underserved. Bicyclists often park on railings, trees, parking meters, or light poles. In order to provide appropriate bicycle parking and eliminate the use of unapproved or illegal bike parking locations, the University needs to bring existing bike parking areas up to current standards and identify locations where additional bike parking is needed. |
| Transportation | Y-Cycles | Ongoing |
Y-Cycles is a bike sharing program led by the university YMCA. Currently the program is waiting on the shipment of two bikes for use in the summer of 2013. The program is also in the process of purchasing two more bikes, in order to make four available for use in the Fall 2013 semester. |
| Reporting Progress | Bicycle Friendly University Status | Ongoing |
In 2011, the University applied for and was granted Bronze-level certification as a Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) from the League of American Bicyclists. The University retained its Bronze-level BFU certification in 2015. The University has filed an application in August 2019 to renew the BFU status. The U of I was promoted to the Silver-Level BFU status on October 17th, 2019. |
| Research Opportunities | Adaptive Aluminum Tensegrity Structure as a Bike Parking Canopy | In Progress |
Funded in Summer 2020, this project seeks to expand the sustainability and longevity of structural engineering by installing an aluminum bicycle canopy on the Engineering Quad. |
Map of projects
Project Updates
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2/22/2021
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2/15/2021
All, Last Wednesday we had our first class of the semester: Bike Maintenance 101. We had one attendee, despite the bitter cold and snow, which was great. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the BC and our mission.