Student cyclists struggle
Monique Saleh rides her bicycle in front of the E. Cullen building. | Paul Crespo/The Daily Cougar
With bicycle safety and theft a constant worry for many riders, many UH students are speaking up about their experiences riding to and from class.
Bicycles are a healthy and efficient way to get around UH’s huge campus. Industrial design major Aaron McEuen lives on campus and finds riding a bike to class much better than walking, even though he says pedestrians can be hostile.
“I’ve almost hit a couple people who were walking and texting. I’ve even been spit on,” McEuen said. “No one here likes cyclists.”
He also said students on campus would benefit from covered parking for bikes.
“My baby cost me $1500; I don’t want it exposed to the elements,” McEuen said.
There are many students that own vehicles but choose to ride their bikes to and from campus. UH student Joshua Jones lives in the Quadrangle and rides wherever he goes. He said that though he owns three cars, he still chooses to ride his bike to save money.
Sheed Itaman, another UH student, said he lives about a mile away from campus and rides a bike, which saves him around $40 each semester on parking.
Though many bike riders avoid the parking woes most drivers must deal with on a daily basis, many cyclists still have trouble getting around. According to the UH research results from Robert Browand, director of transporation at UH, Houston is not a bike-friendly city, and adding more bike racks and lanes could make campus more bike friendly.
On the greenUH website, a bike research proposal concerning biking on campus states that the University may soon implement centralized bike hubs, or covered storage spaces for bikes. The idea is currently is in the proposal stage.
“By offering more convenience and safety as well as a low cost, students will be encouraged to utilize their bikes to, from and around campus,” the document states.
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