New bike regulations on campus have caught the attention of people on and off campus, creating positive feedback from students, advocates and transportation directors. The new regulations and feedback have given campus greater security, and ideas on how to make bicyclist safer.

When the fall 2014 semester started, Sacramento State began its new bicycle regulations, enforcing the use of designated bike lanes, bike compounds and walking wheeled vehicles through campus.

The police department is encouraging students to ride instead of drive, making campus a bike-friendly and commuter-safe environment.

The new regulations have also brought more safety to bicycle compounds on campus. Community Service officers are assigned to shifts where they watch over and register bicycles to prevent theft. Shift times are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CSOs will also register wheeled vehicles to help prevent theft.

However, bicyclists have continued to illegally park their bikes, which the Sac State police department have said will be removed and taken to their office.

Tony Lucas, Senior Director of Transportation and Parking Services was working with Chief of Police Mark Iwasa to see where students are illegally parking their bicycles. They noticed an increase of bicycles locked on the inner campus because there were no bike racks in that area. This caused the new project of installing bike racks by Sequoia and Mendocino Halls and by Sinclair road near Eureka Hall.

Yanely Hinojosa, recreational parks and tourism administration major, said, “I can see why they made the bike rules. People would ride their bikes during rush hours when people were walking. I would almost get hit all the time.”

Lucas has also been in contact with the civil engineering department on campus to see where the bikes are going to help meet the student bike needs.

There have been several aspects to this connection, including the addition of signs, considering packing down the ground and inserting the green bike lanes at State University Drive/ College Town Drive and College Town Drive/ Stadium Way.

Executive director of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, Jim Brown, visited campus and was pleased to see the new regulations and how safe they are for bicyclist on the road.

“Cyclists are safer particularly where they share the road with cars. The cars see the bicyclist and the bicyclist sees the car,” Brown said.

Lucas said he has been receiving positive feedback. The new bike regulations have encouraged students to ride their bikes to school and has seen an increase of bicycles around campus.

“It’s structured and organized,” said psychology major Zade Al-Sayegh, “It just makes the distinction between the pedestrian and bikers. If I had a bike, I would take those paths and it would motivate me to follow the lines..”