Above photo: Student Robert Beasey’s electric wheelchair is often unable to fit past bicycles blocking campus paths. Jonah Hinebaugh | The Crow’s Nest
By Luke Cross and Timothy Fanning
Arriving to class on time is difficult. Arriving to class on time with no way to access the building is impossible.
Robert Beasey, 45, an interdisciplinary social sciences major, is faced with this problem on a regular basis.
Beasey has been disabled his whole life and relies on a motorized wheelchair to move around campus. Mobility becomes an issue, however, when he encounters bicycles parked on walkways or accessibility ramps.
“When I come into the Student Life Center, the ramp has bicycles chained to the railing. I don’t have the best eyesight and have spatial problems too, making it hard to move around bikes,” said Beasey, “I’ve been around a long time. I’m sure people have seen me here everyday, using the ramps.”
Beasey isn’t alone. As USF St. Petersburg has grown, so has its population of disabled students.
“I guarantee you there are more disabled students than there has ever been, so they can’t say they don’t see us,” said Beasey, “It irritates me because it’s like they don’t even think the ramp is for the wheelchairs.”
Accessibility ramps aren’t the only concern for disabled students. Robert McDowell, assistant director of Student Disability Services, explained that bikes parked along sidewalks also pose a mobility challenge.
“Even if they put their bike on the other side of the ramp or a walkway railing, handlebars and pedals protrude into the path,” said Macdowell.
Enforcement is difficult, said Guy Van Asten, safety and compliance officer for the university. Commuting students often park their bikes for the length of a class, leaving little time to catch them.
“If we see somebody locking a bike up where they shouldn’t be, we ask them to move it to a bike rack,” said Van Asten, “It’s kind of hard to keep up with them, there’s not a lot you can really do other than catch them in the act and have them relocate.”
Part of the issue stems from underuse of the available bike racks.
“The implementation of bike corrals have gotten much better; we used to have bikes all over the place. It’s still not perfect, but headway is being made,” said Van Asten, “Looking at what kind of usage the racks are getting now, I’d say they get around sixty percent full at best.”
Underuse, however, doesn’t account for the complete lack of a bicycle rack outside the Student Life Center.
The SLC once had a rack placed outside it’s Fitness Center. During construction on the lot, the rack was removed and never replaced.
Beasey and McDowell, who both work for Student Disability Services inside the SLC, filed a request for a new rack to lessen the number of accessibility ramp blockages.
“Back in November, I got so fed up seeing those bikes there that I contacted Facilities Services and told them that we need a bike rack at the SLC,” said McDowell, “The department said they would take care of it. Nothing happened.”
Beasey expressed his disappointment. “They told me there would be racks, but I don’t see them. And now we’ve started another semester and there is nothing.”
McDowell has since attempted to file another a request, to which Facilities Services replied that an order for a new rack has been placed, but did not provide a date for its arrival.
The immediate solutions provided by McDowell and Van Asten are to be mindful of others and to speak up if there’s a problem. Specifically, Van Asten advises bicyclists to register their bikes with the campus police department.
“You get a free u-lock, its a great crime prevention method and lets us get in contact with you if something is wrong with your bike or its placement,” said Van Asten, “Ultimately, when something like this happens, tell somebody. If you were in the same situation, you wouldn’t want to be blocked either.”
To report a problem or register your bicycle, contact the USF St. Petersburg police department at 727-873-4140.
