Bicycle Friendly Community

Stanford University, CA | Gold Level

Community Highlights: With more than 13,000 students, faculty and staff, Stanford University needs to be able to move a large population in a relatively confined space – encouraging bicycle use is one of their strategies to do so. One-third of the Stanford’s roadways have bike lanes. In 2007 they installed 2 traffic circles to reduce conflict between pedestrians and cyclists, resulting in no reported crashes and more orderly flow of traffic. Just last year, more than 50 bike lockers and 175 bike racks were installed throughout campus, bringing total bike parking to more than 12,000. This is in addition to clothes lockers, showers and other amenities for commuting cyclists. Other encouragement efforts include valet bike parking at home football games and other events and a $282 stipend for bike commuting eligible members of the Commute Club. To encourage new students to bicycle, Stanford sponsors the Dormitory Road Show to discuss bike-safety and encourage helmet use, in addition to giving out 2,500 bike lights and 200 helmets. To further push home the safe cycling message, a pilot Bicycle Safety Diversion program was created for cyclists ticketed for traffic violations in lieu of fines.

Most Significant Recent Accomplishment: Stanford made additions of secure bike parking and lockers, added new traffic circles, launched an education program for faculty and staff, and worked with campus health promotion programs to promote alternative transportation.

Most Compelling Community Statistic: Standford has had great success with their new Bicycle Safety Diversion Class and have held 10 classes since the fall quarter, educating more than 400 plus students who opted to take the one hour bike safety class in lieu of paying a fine for a bike citation they received. Survey results indicated 100 percent of students learned something new about bike safety, would refer a friend to the class, and reported the class as exceptional and worthwhile.

Best Result of Designation: An article which appeared in the winter 2009 issue of Stanford Parents Magazine on the University's successful bicycle safety program, engaged parents in the discussion and solicited ideas from them on bike safety related issues.