University of Virginia Library

Bike Parking

As every student and faculty member who
operates a motor vehicle on the Grounds
knows, parking at the University these days is
pretty bad. Surveys have shown that each
class day there is an average deficiency of at
least 3,000 parking spaces. There is really no
solution to this parking problem.

Now there, however, are many students
who are fortunate enough to own both a
motorcycle and a car. When the weather is
good these students ride their bikes to class,
taking up much less parking space compared
to cars. We feel every incentive possible
should be offered to these students to get
them to ride their bikes to school.
Motorcycles are smaller and more
maneuverable than cars, and they can park in
areas unfeasible for automobiles, thus freeing
many spaces for automobile parking.

Last spring the University Traffic
Committee, recognizing the need to
encourage motorcycle use perhaps,
established protected motorcycle parking
areas in three of the twenty-four hour student
parking areas.

This week that same committee will deal
with a Student Council proposal to add eight
more areas of protected parking for
motorcycles in the following locations: the
Medical School Courtyard, the Law School
parking lot, the esplanade of the southwest
entrance of the Graduate School of Business
Administration, the Gilmer Hall lot, the
Amphitheatre parking lot, the area outside
the Newcomb Hall post office, the
turnaround on McCormick Road between the
Chapel and the West Range, and the paved
extension of the Rouss Hall parking lot.

The University's Traffic Committee will
probably approve these for use as motorcycle
parking lots. Our hope is that the motorcycle
owners among the students and faculty will
use them and leave their cars at home, thus
helping somewhat to ease the parking
situation around the Grounds.