Adding bike lanes would make streets safer, students happier

Josh Kimbrell, Staff Reporter

The following is an opinion article and opinion articles do not reflect the views of The Tulane Hullabaloo.

A senator introduced the topic of bike lanes briefly at the Undergraduate Student Government meeting Sept. 9, and it’s time the Tulane community as a whole takes the initiative to make the project happen.

Tulane should immediately install bike lanes on campus, as it would dramatically improve campus life. 

The problem with bike lanes on campus is not logistical or financial. Tulane could easily install lanes in high traffic areas such as along the portion of McAlister Drive between Freret Street and Drill Road. The university, however, will not implement these ideas without student involvement. If all students, cyclists and pedestrians alike, decide to push for change and follow through on the issue, a solution can be reached.  

The student body could embrace one of two primary options: the university could create new bike lanes or establish designated dismount areas. These areas would be sectioned off and designated for bikers to dismount their bikes. Currently many students dismount in front of the bike racks, and in busy places such as the rack in front of the Lavin-Bernick Center, this congests the flow of traffic. 

The more efficient choice, however, would be to create bike lanes on both sides of highly congested foot traffic areas. On McAlister Drive, Tulane could add 3-foot bikes lanes on both sides of the road. While this might make the path tighter for pedestrians, the absence of weaving cyclists would be well worth the slight inconvenience for walkers.

The problem is not solely a result of inattentive pedestrians or speeding cyclists. The problem also comes from a lack of coordination between an intelligent, creative student body and a bureaucratic, well-intentioned university.

Joshua Kimbrell is a freshman in the Newcomb-Tulane College. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].

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