News Release

Sept. 8, 2006

New Facility to Aid Boise State Bike Commuters

Boise State University will kick off World Car Free Day with the grand opening of a new bike barn, located in the Kinesiology Annex building, across from the weight room. The ribbon cutting is at 10 a.m. Sept. 22 at the Kinesiology Annex, on the east side of campus south of the Taco Bell Arena. Registration for the 40 available spaces will begin that day.

The facility, believed to be the first of its kind on a northwest college campus, will provide a locked indoor bike storage facility, showers and lockers. Dry cleaning drop-off and delivery services will be provided for those who wish to leave a selection of work clothes in their lockers.

“By commuting by bike, people can contribute to cleaner air while also making themselves more fit,” said Lynda Ransdell, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and a driving force behind the new facility, along with George Knight from the Department of Philosophy. Ransdell has been bicycling to work for the past eight years and says it’s a good way to get a workout when there’s no time for the gym.

Following are a few of the reasons Ransdell promotes bike commuting:

-Statistics show that an inactive lifestyle is a leading cause of death among adults behind tobacco.
-A 150-pound cyclist can burn 410 calories by pedaling 12 miles in an hour.
-New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds the first year they commute.
-Only 1.6 percent of U.S. commuters bike to work, compared to 15 percent in Japan, 50 percent in the Netherlands and 77 percent in China.
-America’s cars and trucks consume 10 percent of the world’s supply of oil.
-Trimming one vehicle from your household can save $340 per month.
(Facts gleaned from www.cbcef.org/commuting_statistics.html)

Cost for use of the facility is $45 per year for faculty and staff for a full locker, or $30 per year for a half-locker. Cost for students is $10 per semester for a half-locker. Bike commuters will be able to compete for rewards donated by local bicycle shops and sponsors after bicycling to work 30 days during the months of September and October.

Ransdell hopes to eventually add more support for bicycle commuting on campus, depending upon the usage of this facility. For more information or to get involved as a sponsor for this event, please contact Ransdell at 426-1798 or LyndaRansdell@boisestate.edu.

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Contact: Lynda Ransdell, Department of Kinesiology, (208) 426-1798, LyndaRansdell@boisestate.edu 
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu

Where you see blue, we see the largest institution of higher education in Idaho. For the ninth time in the last 10 years, Boise State University has set an all-time state record with a fall enrollment of 18,876 students. Since 1996, Boise State’s student population has increased 25 percent.
 

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Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007