From CampusBird Blog
It’s that time of year again. Snow begins melting off the bike trails, campus sidewalks are dotted with budding flowers, and as trees and lawns rejuvenate with the warming weather, we’re all reminded of just how prominent the color green can be in our daily lives. Spring brings everyone outside again, and for many of us that means an increased commitment to biking and walking as a primary means of getting around and reducing trips in the car.
College campuses have embraced self-powered transit better than perhaps any other segment. Biking to class is a quick, fun and environmentally friendly way to move about the campus. By highlighting campus walking and biking paths on your campus map, students, faculty and staff, and visitors can leave the car at home (or off-campus) while getting around quickly and safely, as well as in a way that let’s people really explore and enjoy all that your campus has to offer. Here are four creative ways that schools around the country are highlighting their bike- and walkability.
York College of Pennsylvania
Let’s start off nice and easy with a well-inked campus walking map. York College highlights walking paths so those less familiar with the campus can route their way across the property with ease. By clicking the other options onto the map as needed, they can route their way to campus dining locations, administrative buildings or student housing, and more.
Santa Fe College
What happens when a student gets a flat tire while riding to class? Santa Fe College demonstrates the power of being prepared by highlighting their on-campus bike repair station. Cyclists can tune up, change a tire or add a few pumps of air, or make other basic adjustments to keep them riding free.
Kansas State University
Finding the best route around campus is one thing, but what about parking your bike upon arrival? Kansas State uses small bicycle icons to highlight bike racks located near halls and buildings. This is particularly helpful for buildings with more than one entrance, saving the pedal-powered populace the headache of pulling up to one door only to find the back rack located on the other side.
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University takes the concept of a campus walking map to the next level. The campus tree walking tour takes visitors on a guided tour of the many varieties of trees found on campus, with the added benefit of a good workout in the process. By the time they’ve completed the tour, visitors will have a solid grasp on the best ways to move about the campus by foot or by bike.
Many schools highlight activities that can be done on foot, such as frisbee golf courses, other types of campus tours, and routes to get around construction zones. With CampusBird, marking these paths on your campus map is a simple thing to do, and can help incoming and current students and visitors get to know the campus faster. Many freshmen don’t have a car, so they’ll be spending plenty of time exploring the campus on foot and by bicycle. Plus, it gives your school the added benefit of sustainability pushes by highlighting the easy accessibility of green transportation.
