For Bicycle Commuters, Grant Makes Racking Up at Einstein Easier
For those commuting to Einstein on two wheels, securing your bike on campus just got a bit easier. Einstein recently received a boost for expanding its on-campus bicycle parking options thanks to an $8,400 grant from 511NY Rideshare “to facilitate employee participation in alternative and clean-air commute options.” Presented to the College of Medicine’s office of energy management (OEM), the funds supported the installation of five new bike racks throughout the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, representing 78 additional bike parking spots.
Mike Winkler gets set to head home on his bicycle
The additional racks bring the total number on campus to 14 (see campus map). There are now four racks on south campus: two within the central courtyard, nearest to the library; another by the Glass Café across from the entrance to Robbins Auditorium, and one outside the entrance to Belfer. On north campus, three racks grace the perimeter of the courtyard encircled by Einstein’s student residence buildings and the Falk Recreation Center, with one just outside each building; two racks are adjacent to the Price Center/Block Pavilion, one near the lower atrium and the other in between Price/Block and its neighbor Van Etten; one rack is at the Kennedy Center; and four are situated inside the Quik Park garage adjacent to housing.
While most racks are for daytime parking only, the rack inside the parking garage offers overnight parking. It also provides the most spots in its reconfigured layout. “We evaluated the space and felt that we could improve things to better accommodate more bicycles and gaining access to them,” said Michael Winkler, director of OEM. “The new bike racks are part of concerted, citywide effort to promote sustainable commuting and we hope that employees, students and postdocs will be encouraged to ride.”
For those living in parts of the Bronx and southern Westchester, bike commuting is a viable and healthy option for getting to work. Einstein’s Jack and Pearl Resnick campus lies near the intersection of two major bike paths in the Bronx, which can be accessed near the Pelham and Hutchinson River Parkways, and also allow easy travel from the nearby 2, 5 and 6 subway stations.
“I can ride nearly six miles from Pelham Manor, in Westchester, to Einstein and spend less than a mile of that distance on the road with cars,” said Karen Gardner, director of internal and web communications, who commutes by bike several times a week. “It’s a beautiful ride and, it surprises people when I tell them that I’ve had to slow down–in the Bronx portion of the path–for a turkey or a white-tailed deer crossing the path in front of me.”
Asterisks on the map indicate where campus bike racks are locatedTo further support bike commuters, who may work up a sweat on their ride, the Falk Recreation Center offers a special “Bike Commuter Shower Pass” to bicycle commuters, which allows them free access to gym showers for post-ride freshening up. “We wanted to support those trying to be green, and offering bike commuters access to the showers seemed an easy way to do so,” said Pat McGlinchey, manager of the center.
Next spring, OEM plans to team up with security to offer a seminar demonstrating effective bicycle locking techniques. The event will include a free raffle through which several lucky winners will have a shot at scoring one of several high-security Kryptonite bike locks donated by the company. Mr. Winkler also hopes to gauge community interest in establishing a bike repair station somewhere on campus, where basic tools like an air pump, Allen wrenches, tire repair kits, and a water fountain would be available for cyclists to use. “We sought funds to support such a station in our original grant proposal,” said Mr. Winkler. “We’re happy to be able to provide the expanded parking spots, since they’re an important resource for commuters to be able to access.”
Posted on: Friday, November 25, 2016