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Colorado State University named among elite Bike Friendly Universities

  • Ron 

Colorado State University buzzes with bikes. With more than 23,600 bikes registered to be on campus on any given day, and with a university in the heart of a community heralded nationally for a love of bikes, it’s no surprise that CSU was named today to the prestigious Platinum Bicycle Friendly University list. CSU is the only university in the state and one of only five in the nation recognized as platinum by the League of American Bicyclists.

To reach platinum status, the university had to demonstrate that it is an exemplary campus for bicyclists, welcoming cycling at every level, and has a number of people biking at much higher levels than the national average. CSU is the first university to climb directly from Silver to Platinum, skipping Gold, in its quest for top recognition for supporting biking on campus.

“This recognition is a nod to the entire cycling culture in Northern Colorado and Fort Collins,” said Aaron Fodge, alternative transportation manager for the university. “The work of many people at the university, and our strong partnership with the city, creates a seamless transition for cyclists from city to campus, and the strong commitment from so many crafts an optimized bike-friendly experience for our students, faculty, staff and guests. We hope to see more and more of our community try out bicycling as a mode of transportation to and on campus.”

As part of its commitment to supporting bicycling on campus, Colorado State University has:

“Our campus embodies the love of cycling that is a part of the larger culture of Northern Colorado,” said Lynn Johnson, vice president for Operations. “While riding a bike has always been a mode of choice on campus, we’ve particularly made great strides in the last few years in infusing bicycling on and to campus into our infrastructure. This recognition is a great demonstration of our commitment to sustainability, as well as to providing safe, smart commuting options to our students, faculty and staff.”

The Bicycle Friendly University program recognizes institutions of higher education for promoting and providing a more bike-able campus for students, staff and visitors. The program provides the road map and technical assistance to create great campuses for cycling.

“In its fourth year, we’ve seen the Bicycle Friendly University program reach an exciting level of growth and momentum, as more and more campuses support bicycling in new and innovative ways,” said Amelia Neptune, the Bicycle Friendly University program manager. “From bike storage inside dorm rooms to bicycle-powered music festivals, we applaud this round of universities for raising the standards of what a bicycle-friendly campus looks like.”

The League of American Bicyclists also recognizes Bicycle Friendly Communities; Fort Collins was named a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community in 2013. From 2000 to 2013, bicycle commuting rates in large Bike Friendly Communities increased 105 percent, far above the national average of 62 percent and more than double the rate in non-Bike Friendly Communities, according to the League of American Bicyclists.

This recognition complements an already long list of sustainability awards Colorado State University has received.

  • CSU was honored as a 2015 Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in April.
  • In March, CSU was recognized as the first university ever to earn a Platinum rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, called STARS, an independent assessment that measures sustainability efforts at universities and colleges around the world.
  • Also in March, The Princeton Review ranked CSU 12th overall in its Top 50 Green Colleges list, and fifth among public research universities in the country.
  • In July, CSU was named the nation’s most sustainable university by BestColleges.com.
  • In August, CSU was named among the top five in Sierra magazine’s Coolest Schools green ranking.
  • The Pavilion at Laurel Village and the Powerhouse, two of the university’s newer facilities, achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
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