Winter 2009
Scott works to ensure bicycle safety at Stanford
Ariadne Scott is Stanford’s bicycle program coordinator. She answers questions about riding safely on the Stanford campus.
Ariadne Scott
Stanford was designated a Gold Level “Bicycle Friendly Community.” What does that mean?
It is a big deal. The League of American Bicyclists, which makes the designation, is one of the oldest advocacy agencies. It evaluated us based on education, engineering, environmental efforts, encouragement and evaluation. This designation is presented to communities with a remarkable commitment to bicycling that have made measurable efforts to integrate bicyclists into the community. There are only three communities designated at the highest level—platinum: Davis, Boulder and Portland. We’re at gold, so we are doing better than other communities, but we can do better.
What are the biggest safety issues on the Stanford campus?
Students don’t realize they have to obey the rules of the road and the
importance of wearing a bike helmet every time they ride, even for short
trips. They don’t know they must stop at stop signs, that they need a
front headlight or that they must yield to pedestrians. We remind them
that riding a bike is like driving a car. And, you need to maintain it.
They get busy or they think of riding a bike the way they did when they
were kids. But if your brakes don’t work, if you don’t pay attention,
if you don’t wear a helmet, you can be seriously injured. It is estimated
we have over 12,000 bicyclists on the campus—including students and commuters.
We want to ensure that everyone gets around safely. It is easier to ride
than drive on this campus, which is why we have so many bikes. But people
need to take it seriously.
What are the most common mistakes student riders make?
The most important ones that come to mind are not knowing they can get cited for disobeying the law, including wearing a helmet for those under 18 years of age, not maintaining their bike and not focusing 100 percent on riding. When they crash, it is generally because of excessive speed, not paying attention or trying to do too many things. I see people with headphones or iPods and people texting while riding. If you are driving, you need to be looking ahead, not drinking coffee. Plus, students need to make sure the brakes work, that they have air in the tires and that the bike is fitted properly. Even new bikes, after they have been ridden for a few weeks, need a tune-up to tighten cables. This is a service the Campus Bike Shop offers, and our office offers free safety checks.
The three most common citations are for not stopping at stop signs, not having lights and wearing headphones in both ears. Also, some people come to campus not having ridden a bike before or who are accustomed to riding on the opposite side of the street.
When students get cited, they are offered a chance to go to a one-hour diversion class we give with the Department of Public Safety. The citation and fees are waived for participating. The responses have been terrific to this new program. When they come, they don’t want to be there. But when they leave, their survey responses indicate that they have learned something new and would refer others to the class.
What can students do to protect their bikes from theft?
Any community with a high number of bicycles will tend to be a target for theft. Most stolen bikes at Stanford were not locked correctly, locked with just a cable lock rather than a u-shaped kryptonite lock or not locked at all. Sometimes students lock just the front wheel to the bike rack, not realizing that the wheel can be easily removed. Stanford has accommodations for more than 12,000 bikes with bike racks. We also have bike lockers and clothing lockers to support commuting. Locking the bike the right way can deter a thief.
Students also should register their bikes, as required by law. It provides proof of identity so the bike can be returned. Registration is $3.50 and valid for three years. Also all new students and transfer students receive a free bicycle headlight when they register. Since September 2008, we have installed more than 2,000 free lights for students.
Finally, students should also refrain from riding expensive bikes to class. A commuting-type bike or cruiser should be the bike of choice, and the other bike used for weekend rides.
What are your biggest concerns?
One of my passions is to get students to wear helmets. There is a perception that since students are only riding a short distance, they don’t need a helmet. But they don’t realize that most bike crashes occur within two miles of where you live. Students bring helmets, but don’t use them because there is a stigma attached to wearing them and because they fear “hat hair.”
The ones who do wear helmets usually have a story. A student at Arroyo told me that he had a terrible crash at six. From that day on, he has always worn a helmet. We encourage students by recognizing them when they wear a helmet in White Plaza, giving them a gift certificate and entering them into a contest for a $1,000 cash prize that we offer each quarter.
We focus on education and outreach, especially about the rules of the road and safety. We do road shows (safety education presentations) in residences, departments and in White Plaza every Friday. We start out by sharing bike stories—how they got started or how they’ve avoided a crash. We also have programs like the road shows in residences. We have a staff of students, including our mascot Sprocket Man who helps us on site with our educational efforts including recognizing those that wear helmets.
We do creative contests, like the upcoming Bicycle Safety Invention Challenge. The idea is to create the best concept or device that would mitigate injury. It is open to students only, who will present in front of a group of judges. The prize is $5,000, a bike, helmet, cyclometer, headlight and messenger bag.
We are interested in people’s health and safety. But my hope is also that students continue to ride. We registered over 2,200 bikes during New Student Orientation between freshmen and transfer. If you aggregate that, it is clear nearly everyone rides on campus.
What advice do you have for parents whose sons or daughters may be riding bikes on the Stanford campus?
Ask them if they are wearing a helmet and whether or not they have received a bike citation and why. Encourage safety. Encourage them to attend our bike diversion class or take our online bike quiz. And, I would ask especially that parents encourage their students to wear a helmet.
Visit the bicycling program web page.
