Report from Bicycle Ridding Policy Subcommittee: Greg Francis, Chair of the Bicycle Policy Subcommittee, reported the subcommittee's recommendations as follows:

Background:  At the 9/1/04 University Transportation Committee (UTC) meeting, a proposal was made by Leslie Deniz, Chief of the Univeristy Police Dept. (UPD) and chair of the UTC to expand the defined “campus core” and to forbid bicycle riding in the core on a 24/7 basis, among other things.  After substantial committee and public discussion of the proposal at a subsequent UTC meeting, Chief Deniz requested that a subcommittee be formed to review the proposal and to prepare a recommendation regarding the proposed changes for consideration by the full UTC.

Members of the subcommittee include:

• Greg Francis, Chair, Facilities Planning
• Frankie Hockstaff, University Police
• Brian Oppy, Psychology Department
• Rick Rees, Student Activities
• Annie Sherman, Associated Students
• Stephanie Yule, Risk Management

Subcommittee recommendations:  The subcommittee submits the following recommendations for consideration and action by the UTC.

Near Term

• Make no changes to the campus core at this time
• Restrict bicycle riding in the campus core 7am-7pm Monday through Friday (excepting “total ban” areas such as pedestrian bridges)
• Educate both bicyclists and pedestrians about changes, speed limits, etc.
• Install clear, consistent signage on campus.

Long Term

• Conduct a transportation study and develop a transportation master plan
• Install covered, secure bike parking on the periphery of the campus core
• Work with the City of Chico to develop better bike routes to and around campus

Greg Francis commented that there is a need to do a transportation study in cooperation with the City of Chico and they are looking at that now. A transportation study will consist of looking at ALL forms of transportation:  pedestrian, bikes, buses and cars.  This study should be considered in the CSUC Master Plan as well.  Individual studies have been done over the years, but an overall transportation study has not been addressed.

Comments were opened up to the public. Kirk Monfort expressed that he agreed with the recommendations of the committee and that they addressed all of his concerns.

Greg Francis interjected that the CSUC Master Plan was presented to the Chico City Council which included ideas about a multi-level parking structure at Salem and 2nd Streets. The City is currently looking at developing a transit center and the council was very interested in learning more about CSUC's Master Plan, including how it relates to transportation issues.  They are supportive of a collective transportation study, including representatives from both the University and the City. This will be happening in the near future.

Mark Stemen stated that his students have developed an Alternative Transportation Committee as well as a Parking Committee.  He said as he moves through the semester with his students, he would like to see the University's budget as it relates to these two areas.  Other schools have set examples of meeting the needs of their students, staff and faculty by, for example, raising parking permit fees slightly, which has proven to provide additional funding for alternative transportation efforts.

Greg Francis responded by clarifying that the Transportation Committee does not have its own budget. The committee is a recommending body only; they are charged with looking at issues that deal with transportation and they make recommendations to the president and cabinet. There is a parking budget and the revenues are used to sustain the parking department. Leslie Deniz reported that the current parking budget does not sustain the expenses incurred at this time.  There is also money collected from fines and forfeitures and that money goes toward alternative transportation efforts. Among other things, the University contracts with the City and County bus systems and provides over 200,000 rides yearly for faculty, staff and students.

Greg Francis continued the discussion by saying that looking at the budget is good.  What do we currently have?  What are we currently spending it on? And what do we want to be spending it on?  It all goes back to the much needed transportation study and we can't do it alone.  It must be in cooperation with the City of Chico.

It was also brought up that last year the students who reported on the Parking and Alternative Transportation Advisory Measure were asked to take that further by proposing the boundaries of the one-mile restriction for buying parking permits. Mark Stemen reported that they have done the work. They just have not had a chance to report on it since the bicycle riding on campus issue ended up taking more time than planned. This item will be put on the next meeting's agenda and the A.S. committee representative will be asked to prepare a report for the March meeting.  This advisory measure also needs to be included in the transportation study.

Additional discussion by committee members continued.  Many ideas were shared. Everyone agreed that looking at the big picture, in conjunction with the City, and working on a transportation study that takes all of the above into account is a good idea.  Everyone agrees the transportation issues on our campus need further study, taking into account sustainability while creatively solving problems.  Everyone agreed we need more data before we can further attempt to recommend solutions to the larger problems we face as a campus community. In the meantime, it was recommended that the subcommittee recommendations be distributed to all UTC members and that each member be asked to vote on whether or not they agree. Deborah Furgason is to put out that information via email. Upon receipt of opinions from all members, Chief Deniz will take information to V.P. Dennis Graham, and recommendations to the president and Cabinet will be made via University protocol.