In an effort to further green our nation's capital, the D.C. City Council will most likely pass legislation this week requiring more apartments to provide bike racks and other forms of bike parking.
The law would compel all apartment buildings with more than eight units to offer at least one bicycle parking space for every four units and have bicycle parking equal to 10 percent of the available vehicle parking in their lots, according to the Washington Examiner.
While this is no doubt great news for the hordes of pedaling D.C. denizens, don't expect to be seeing more bikes lying around campus any time soon. As a university, AU doesn't need to comply with legislation regarding D.C. apartments. If it did, AU would have to provide 39 spots for Hughes Hall alone, and that's not even counting the five other dorms.
Currently, AU offers only a handful of bike racks, and many bike-loving students are forced to chain up to lampposts, handrails and stop signs. The Katzen Arts Center, for example, has only five bike spaces. Biking art students are often forced to park between Ward and Kay, assuming that bike rack isn't full as well. The administration should follow D.C.'s lead and give its carbon-conscious students the same opportunities offered to those commuting via car, especially considering AU's recent efforts to promote eco-conscious lifestyles, such as its proposed bike-lending program. Bikes give students living off campus quicker, cheaper, greener commutes. As a university that prides itself on environmental progress, AU's lack of bike parking only shows how far we still need to pedal.
