So, I wrapped up a pretty good day of work, and it was time for a bicycle ride. This evening’s destination, the University of Arizona campus. Community open house on the university’s proposed bicycle and pedestrian plan.
Okay, so Martha’s on her bike, pedaling toward campus, and what’s this? It’s the Incredible Disappearing Bike Lane!
Yes, I know. This sign is right near the UA hospital, and you’d think that people wouldn’t be driving like bats out of Hades.
But this is Tucson. Car-land. Sure, you can politely ask drivers to share the road. But on this stretch, we bicyclists know that it’s time to fear for our lives.
On to the main campus. Uh-oh. Construction zone…
No problem navigating my bike around the construction. (Hooray!)
Coming up next: Martha heads over to her former place of employment, the University of Arizona Foundation, which is located in the Swede Johnson building.
Without making this into something way longer than a blog post, let’s just say that UA Foundation and I didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. Big reason why I’m a freelancer now.
One of our major areas of disagreement was the bicycle parking. Here’s one of Swede’s two racks. It’s on the blind side of the building, which means that this rack is a bicycle thief’s target of opportunity…
The UA Foundation must have hit a two-for-one sale, because there’s another rack just like this one, right outside Swede’s front door.
And you should have heard what the open house attendees had to say about it. It was about as nice as what I had to say, and, no, I’m not printing those words on this blog.
Meanwhile, across the street from Swede, we have a well designed bike rack. I mean, check this thing out. Every bit of it is usable, not just the end positions. (Are you listening, UA Foundation?)
Methinks that the Key Desk has unlocked the secret of proper bicycle parking on the University of Arizona campus.