Bike Friendly Campus
Loyola Named a Silver-Level Bicycle-Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists
Story by Mars Reilly
This November, Loyola earned a renewal of its Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of our institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. This certification comes from the League of American Bicyclists, “the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike.”
Loyola first earned a Silver status certification from the League of American Bicyclists in 2016.
The Bicycle Friendly University program now includes 221 colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia. It is part of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program, which also awards communities and businesses with certifications as part of its mission to make bicycling safe, comfortable, and more accessible for everyone. When joining the program, institutions are evaluated based on their efforts to promote bicycling in five primary areas: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement, and evaluation (planning). “Bicycle Friendly Universities offer a far more holistic experience of campus life for students, faculty, and staff by implementing policies, programs, and infrastructure improvements that make for safer and easier car-free commutes, healthier lives through increased physical activity, and a campus community more connected to its surroundings,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists.
Loyola first earned a Silver status certification from the League of American Bicyclists in 2016 and has been consistent in the renewal of its status ever since. Our current Bicycle Friendly University award will last until 2026, at which point it will be available again for renewal. In the meantime, Loyola will have access to various free tools, a library of resources, and technical assistance from the League to help our institution become even more welcoming to people who bike.
Across our university’s three campuses, over 100 bike racks are available for use, as well as a “bike corral” in the Lake Shore Campus parking structure. This corral is available for use by all members of the Loyola community who register their bikes with Campus Security, and its camera-monitored facility ensures the safety of stored bikes.
ChainLinks is one of the on-campus biking resources that helped earn Loyola its Silver-status certification. Located on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus, ChainLinks was founded in 2011 by Loyola students as the nation’s first student-run bicycle shop. The shop is a nonprofit that “strives to promote sustainability through clean bicycle transportation while engaging with the community at volunteer events.” Their services include bike rentals, repairs, maintenance, and winter storage at competitive prices, and although Loyola students receive a discount, ChainLinks is open to the entire Rogers Park community. The ChainLinks team has volunteered at various community events and projects in previous years, including the annual Loyola Midnight Bike Ride and Lollapalooza’s Lolla Cares.As of August 2022, ChainLinks is temporarily closed as they get ready to hire a new team. They will begin recruiting in mid-December and will continue until February 1, 2023, and they aim to fully reopening this March, weather permitting.
This past summer of 2022, Loyola reinstated another event promoting sustainable transportation on our campuses: the Bike Commuter Challenge returned from its hiatus due to the break in campus activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge took place from June 6 through June 19 and saw 28 bikers from the Loyola community ride over 1,100 miles. Over the years of Loyola’s participation in the challenge, the Office of Sustainability has worked in tandem with its creator, the Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago-based nonprofit advocacy organization that works to improve conditions for bicycling, walking, and public transit throughout the city.
Members of the Loyola community looking to learn more about how to bike to campus or around the city have access to the Bike To Loyola website, an invaluable resource for any current or prospective biker. The site offers guides for how to safely bike on the roads, outlining the basics of turn signals, Chicago biking regulations, and how to lock and store a bike properly. Additionally, the site recommends the best biking routes to each of Loyola’s three campuses and includes external links to safe biking guides and resources from all over the country.
Extensive resources for biking to and around Loyola are just one of the ways our university promotes sustainable transportation methods. The Searle Biodiesel Lab is housed in the School of Environmental Sustainability building and was launched in 2013 to convert used cooking oil into renewable biodiesel fuel. Sourcing the oil from Loyola food service facilities and other local businesses and institutions, the program “converts used vegetable oil into fuel and other products with the long-term goal of reducing waste, conserving resources, and combatting climate change.” This fuel is used to power Loyola’s fleet of campus shuttle buses, making our campus transportation system sustainable and accessible.
The renewal of Loyola’s Silver-Level Bike Friendly University Status is a welcome recognition of our institution’s commitment to sustainability in transportation services and all areas of campus life.
Have an idea about how to support sustainable transportation to Loyola’s campuses? Reach out to the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@luc.edu.
Loyola Named a Silver-Level Bicycle-Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists
Story by Mars Reilly
This November, Loyola earned a renewal of its Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of our institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. This certification comes from the League of American Bicyclists, “the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike.”
The Bicycle Friendly University program now includes 221 colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia. It is part of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program, which also awards communities and businesses with certifications as part of its mission to make bicycling safe, comfortable, and more accessible for everyone. When joining the program, institutions are evaluated based on their efforts to promote bicycling in five primary areas: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement, and evaluation (planning). “Bicycle Friendly Universities offer a far more holistic experience of campus life for students, faculty, and staff by implementing policies, programs, and infrastructure improvements that make for safer and easier car-free commutes, healthier lives through increased physical activity, and a campus community more connected to its surroundings,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists.
Loyola first earned a Silver status certification from the League of American Bicyclists in 2016 and has been consistent in the renewal of its status ever since. Our current Bicycle Friendly University award will last until 2026, at which point it will be available again for renewal. In the meantime, Loyola will have access to various free tools, a library of resources, and technical assistance from the League to help our institution become even more welcoming to people who bike.
Across our university’s three campuses, over 100 bike racks are available for use, as well as a “bike corral” in the Lake Shore Campus parking structure. This corral is available for use by all members of the Loyola community who register their bikes with Campus Security, and its camera-monitored facility ensures the safety of stored bikes.
ChainLinks is one of the on-campus biking resources that helped earn Loyola its Silver-status certification. Located on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus, ChainLinks was founded in 2011 by Loyola students as the nation’s first student-run bicycle shop. The shop is a nonprofit that “strives to promote sustainability through clean bicycle transportation while engaging with the community at volunteer events.” Their services include bike rentals, repairs, maintenance, and winter storage at competitive prices, and although Loyola students receive a discount, ChainLinks is open to the entire Rogers Park community. The ChainLinks team has volunteered at various community events and projects in previous years, including the annual Loyola Midnight Bike Ride and Lollapalooza’s Lolla Cares.As of August 2022, ChainLinks is temporarily closed as they get ready to hire a new team. They will begin recruiting in mid-December and will continue until February 1, 2023, and they aim to fully reopening this March, weather permitting.
This past summer of 2022, Loyola reinstated another event promoting sustainable transportation on our campuses: the Bike Commuter Challenge returned from its hiatus due to the break in campus activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge took place from June 6 through June 19 and saw 28 bikers from the Loyola community ride over 1,100 miles. Over the years of Loyola’s participation in the challenge, the Office of Sustainability has worked in tandem with its creator, the Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago-based nonprofit advocacy organization that works to improve conditions for bicycling, walking, and public transit throughout the city.
Members of the Loyola community looking to learn more about how to bike to campus or around the city have access to the Bike To Loyola website, an invaluable resource for any current or prospective biker. The site offers guides for how to safely bike on the roads, outlining the basics of turn signals, Chicago biking regulations, and how to lock and store a bike properly. Additionally, the site recommends the best biking routes to each of Loyola’s three campuses and includes external links to safe biking guides and resources from all over the country.
Extensive resources for biking to and around Loyola are just one of the ways our university promotes sustainable transportation methods. The Searle Biodiesel Lab is housed in the School of Environmental Sustainability building and was launched in 2013 to convert used cooking oil into renewable biodiesel fuel. Sourcing the oil from Loyola food service facilities and other local businesses and institutions, the program “converts used vegetable oil into fuel and other products with the long-term goal of reducing waste, conserving resources, and combatting climate change.” This fuel is used to power Loyola’s fleet of campus shuttle buses, making our campus transportation system sustainable and accessible.
The renewal of Loyola’s Silver-Level Bike Friendly University Status is a welcome recognition of our institution’s commitment to sustainability in transportation services and all areas of campus life.
Have an idea about how to support sustainable transportation to Loyola’s campuses? Reach out to the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@luc.edu.