Mississippi State University’s department of campus landscape has begun the installation of 30 bike racks meant to improve both parking facilities for riders and the look of campus.
The black, wave-shaped racks are part of phase one in a $24,000 to $25,000 project. Installation began Oct. 27.
So far 19 new racks have been put in. “The areas highly seen in the historic district are the areas we are taking care of first,” Joel Butler, a landscape draftsman who is overseeing the installation, said.
The project is a team effort by the landscaping staff to fix the problem of bikes being chained to improper structures such as trees, signs and handicapped ramps, director of campus landscape Tim Lacy said.
Although this problem isn’t the fault of riders but is due to a lack of bike parking, the bikes still get in the way, Lacy and Butler said.
These new racks are capable of holding anywhere from five to nine bikes if used properly, they said. The landscape department plans to use them to replace the old ones, which hold fewer bikes, could cause damage to bicycle wheels and are eye-sores.
“We tried to choose bike racks that would blend well into the landscape, while at the same time get noticed by students without the use of bright ugly colors,” Lacy said.
Once phase two of the project begins, the department of campus landscape plans to install racks around buildings that are currently under construction such as Lee Hall and The Union. They’re also looking for other places to install racks for those who find them useful.
“They do have the racks in good spots, but they need them in more areas,” sophomore industrial technology major Brent Cameron said.