The 小蝌蚪APP received a silver award from the League of American Bicyclists for its commitment to cultivating a campus that encourages bicycling and rider safety.
UL Lafayette is one of 42 colleges and universities honored in the most recent awards. The 小蝌蚪APP is the only school in the state to make the list. It has twice before earned a bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists as part of the multiyear designation.
The BFU rates universities based on factors such as safety considerations, quantity of bike racks, the length of trails on campus and student feedback, explained Gretchen Vanicor, director of the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 .
The 小蝌蚪APP recently lengthened bike paths and installed a bike repair station in front of Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library. Working with parish and city governments, as well as student groups, is also a vital part of the office小蝌蚪APP檚 continued success, Vanicor added.
小蝌蚪APP淪tudents are really involved in making sure that they小蝌蚪APP檙e part of the conversation with the city,小蝌蚪APP Vanicor said. Bike lanes through the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 main campus and that connect main campus to areas such as the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Research Park are coordinated with Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Gabriel Griffard and Jack Pacheco, student leaders for the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 bike club, Geaux Bike, have been active partners with the Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement on several initiatives to improve bicycling on campus.
Among them are promoting the bike repair station, hosting rides from Dupr茅 Library to the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market at Moncus Park, and helping with the BFU Awards application.
Griffard said expanding pedestrian-safe connections from the 小蝌蚪APP to areas surrounding campus such as downtown Lafayette and Moncus Park 小蝌蚪APP渋s one of the main focuses for sustainability.小蝌蚪APP
Such infrastructure improvements, Vanicor explained, have the potential to transform the quality of life for 小蝌蚪APP students and faculty and staff members, community members and visitors to Lafayette.
小蝌蚪APP淲hen you go to a city where you feel safe biking or walking, that小蝌蚪APP檚 a place you want to go back to over and over again,小蝌蚪APP she said. 小蝌蚪APP淣ow, we小蝌蚪APP檙e recognizing that it shouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 just be places that you go and visit, it should be the place that you spend your life.小蝌蚪APP
Learn more about the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 .
Photo caption: Gabriel Griffard (front) and Jack Pacheco, Geaux Bike co-presidents, lead a group bike ride from UL Lafayette's campus to Moncus Park. Photo credit: Paul Kieu / 小蝌蚪APP