Biking at SIU

Bicycling is an excellent mode of transportation in Carbondale and on the SIU campus. SIU is one 164 institutions of higher learning across the country to receive the Bicycle Friendly University recognition for 2016. The university achieved the bronze level designation.

According to the Bicycle Friendly University program, bronze level designation means that "these colleges and universities may only have a couple bike lanes in place and few opportunities for bicycling events. However, important steps are being taken in all five Essentials but particularly in one or two Essentials."

Geory Kurtzhals, sustainability coordinator for SIU said, “This designation recognizes one of the ways our students, faculty and staff are working together to make our campus more sustainable ... Bicycling is a smart decision from an economic, environmental and health perspective and exemplifies what sustainability is all about. We are very proud of this designation.”

Support from SIU’s Student Green Fund enabled Shelby Orr (BS, 2017),a senior architectural studies student at the time, to create a bicycle survey for the entire campus in 2015. In 2016, the Student Green Fund provided $2,800 toward the cost of starting a bicycle master plan and building this website. In addition, Orr was instrumental in submitting the bicycle-friendly designation application.

“Shelby worked tirelessly to support bicycling at SIU. Her work is building a foundation for campus bicycling for years to come. It will serve to make our campus even more attractive to the growing number of students who are concerned about reducing their carbon footprint,” Kurtzhals said.