"The results here indicate that the changes to the UIUC network do in fact improve connectivity over the existing network. Moreover, the planned network lowers the average shortest-distance path between libraries, dormitories, and the Union by nearly the same amount as a control scenario without paths at all. While we may assume that a bicycle master plan will address and improve connectivity as a matter of course – and the language in the plans claims that they do – it seems counterintuitive that this simple test not be included in the research process to confirm that this is so. Ultimately what these accessibility and connectivity analyses show is that while planners and bicycle advocates may seek to improve bicycle infrastructure, we need a way to quantify and subsequently verify that any changes will improve the functionality of the network and the ease with which a rider can travel from one location to another." -- Pildes, Russell. (2014) "Connectivity and Accessibility of UIUC Campus Bike Paths", B.A. Honors Thesis, Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

From: Lev, James R
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2014 4:37 PM
To: Geoffrey Chambers
Cc: Eller, Jonathan Randall; Johnston, Morgan B; Architecture Review Committee
Subject: RE: Approval for SSC Proposal: Shelter Bicycle Parking for CLSL and RAL

Geoff:

Thank you for your summary and request for review comments on your proposed project. 

ARC finds no significant issues with the proposed locations of a cover bike shelter adjacent to the Chem Life Sciences Building.  

ARC would want to consider shelter designs on a location by location basis.  The shelters may not be acceptable everywhere on campus.   Each site would need to be considered on its own merits and appropriateness of design.  We would like to see a proposal for these two suggested locations: size, location, number of racks, costs and the design.   We’d like to see what you have in mind. 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Jim

We have been able to remove all 413 of the bikes from the parking warehouse and they have started their journey to El Salvador.
 

Facilities and Services at the University of Illinois is partnering with Champaign County Bikes to count every bike on campus. The bicycle data collected is critical for future university decision-making and planning including: determining the location and quantity of additional bicycle parking needed to meet demand, estimating the increasing number of cyclists on campus, and prioritizing bicycle infrastructure projects.

Volunteers are needed to help with the count and can register at http://tinyurl.com/kcbc4t4

Please contact bike@illinois.edu for additional information.

See revised drafts.

The University Libraries department of facilities is launching a small feasibility study to determine weather it would be cost effective to use bikes as a materials transportation medium. 

Alex Bragg, Distribution Clerk

In Fall of 2013, the follow classes were offered at the Campus Bicycle Shop.

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 Bicycle Shop, 608 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Champaign.

Bicycles, parts, and tools will be provided for the duration of each class, and no previous experience is needed. 

Tires, Tubes, and Rim Strips

• October 9, 2013, 7pm $10.
• Repairing a flat tire can range from an easy 5 minute job to an hour of hard labor. In this class we will go over each part of what makes up a rolling tire, and how to fix it.
   

Smooth Shifting

• October 16, 2013, 7pm $20.
• This will be a 2-hour class on shifters and derailleurs. We will cover the types of shifters, the derailleurs they actuate, and how to adjust them.

Choosing the Right Bike

• Friday, October 25, 2013, 10-11am, ARC Multi-purpose Room 7. FREE.
• As part of Sustainability Week 2013, the Campus Bicycle Shop is offering a free class on choosing the right bike. This class will cover bike styles, sizing, the difference tire sizes make, and will touch on how frame geometry affects ride quality. The class will help new and existing cyclists understand what bike to purchase, how to go about selecting the right bike, and when to ask for help. **NOTE DATE & LOCATION HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR THIS CLASS.

Brake Check

• October 30, 2013, 7pm $10.
• In this class we will cover basic brake maintenance and how to adjust commonly used brakes.
   

Winterize your Bike

• November 13, 2013, 7pm $10.
• This class will show students how to prepare their bike for winter, both for safe riding in winter weather and how to protect your bike from the elements while it's stored outside.
   

Put a Bow on it

• December 11, 2013, 7pm $10.
• This class will cover the ins-and-outs of packaging a bike for shipment by postal carrier.

Small Starts is a federal grant program administered by the Federal Transit Administration for eligible transportation projects that cost less than $250 million total. A Small Starts grant proposal is being spearheaded by MTD for a segment of high-traffic streets in the center of campus, which would require a cost-sharing component by all the CATS member agencies.  Within the University District, this grant proposal includes bike lanes on White Street, Wright Street, Green Street from Wright Street to Lincoln Avenue, and Armory Avenue from Wright Street to Fourth Street.  Within the Small Starts proposed improvements, the University has jurisdiction over Armory Avenue from Wright Street to Fourth Street, the Wright Street existing bike path to the east of the roadway from Armory Avenue to Green Street, and the Green Street existing bike path to the north of the curb from Wright Street to east of Goodwin Avenue. 

The Green Street bike path removal should occur when the City of Urbana installs bike lanes on Green Street.  The Wright Street bike path removal will need to happen in conjunction with the installation of bike lanes on Wright Street, which is under City of Champaign jurisdiction.  The bike lanes on Armory Avenue should occur when the Wright Street and Armory Avenue intersection is reconfigured.  That reconfiguration will include shifting the street and sidewalk southern edges farther to the south, so it will be primarily under the jurisdiction of the University.  However, this work will require careful coordination with the City of Champaign, and the intersection should be done in conjunction with the bike lane installation on Wright Street.

The projects in this grant proposal are the top priority safety concerns for the University and the other CATS agencies.  Every effort should be made to assist MTD with obtaining this grant, so these safety issues can be addressed quickly and completely. Additionally, because the Small Start Grant will require some matching funds from the member agencies of CATS, the University should be diligent in helping to meet the required match.

Let's make C-U a bike thief Un-Friendly Community.

I think that our local cycling community would benefit from a relatively simple system which would compile and distribute information on stolen bikes.  I gave it some thought last night and we discussed and refined a possible system at our weekly staff meeting this morning.  This is not a finished product and I'd welcome suggestions to improve it.  But here's the idea.

The system would consist of three parts:

1. An easy way for the owner to register their bike as stolen.
2. A way to disseminate that information to appropriate people in our community.
3. An accessible list of stolen bikes that people could refer to.

Champaign Cycle is volunteering to set up and run this system.  We could implement it in the following manner:

  1.  Register your bike as stolen.

The bike owner would email service@champaigncycle.com  (I'm changing this to stolen@champaigncycle.com) with "Stolen Bike" as the subject and provide the information on the stolen bike.  We will develop an email form that they could fill out and email back.  That form would include:

*IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• *Serial Number
  • Check with the bike shop you bought the bike from.  They should have recorded the serial number and have that record for you.
• *Brand
• *Model
• *Color
• *Frame type (men's or women's frame)
• *Bike Shop Sticker
• *Distinctive Features (white aero wheels, yellow baby seat with frog stickers, 12" rusty scratch on top tube, black fenders and rear rack)
• Size (frame size or wheel size)
• Style (road, mountain, hybrid, cruiser, kids, etc)
• Where it was purchased
• Year Purchased
• Date Stolen
• Location of theft (First and John, Cherry Hills, UI Library)
• Locked with (U lock, cable, chain, in garage, unlocked)
• *Name
• *Email
• *Phone

We would ask that the Police departments also submit their stolen reports so we could disseminate their information.

All this information would help everyone identify the bike to help return it to its owner.  The information could also provide a view of how big a problem bike theft is and where and how bikes are stolen.

  2.  Dissemination of stolen bike information to interested parties.

We would maintain an email list and we would send the information on the stolen bike to:

• Police: Champaign, Sheriff, UI, Urbana
• CCB eMail list
• KMBC eMail list
• PCC eMail list
• UC Bike Ride eMail list
• Bakers Bikes
• Bike Project
• Bikeworks
• Durst Cycles - Urbana and Champaign
• Itty Bitty Bike Shop
• Neutral Cycle Workshop
• The local pawn shops

   3.  Maintain an accessible list of stolen bikes.

We would maintain a list of the stolen bikes on a page on our website to which anyone could refer at any time.  It would be under the Service Tab as Stolen Bikes.  The list would include all the stolen bikes reported to us and would be sortable by column of the categories listed on the report form.  So you'd be able to sort the list by brand, serial number, or whatever.  That way you wouldn't have to print out each report or keep a list which might be out of date. 

So that's the system as we envision it.  We could have it up and running next week.  Any ideas on improving it would be welcome.  We don't suggest that this is a finished project.  It can evolve as we gain experience with it.  I would especially appreciate input from our Police departments.  I'd also be glad to hand this off to another organization, but we are happy to develop and maintain it.  I don't think it will be much of a job for our staff.  We've assigned a person to administer it.  The thing that will make it work and be effective is that we list all the stolen bikes.  So promoting notifying the system of your stolen bike is very important. 

As this system became more widely used, and more widely known, it should act as a bicycle theft deterrent.  If prospective thieves know there is a system to register stolen bikes and that there are Police, bike shops, pawn shops, and individuals on the outlook for stolen bikes, it may make stealing less attractive.  Think of this as a Bicycle Community Watch.

What do you think?

Peter Davis
Champaign Cycle
217-352-7600