I’ve been told dozens of times how lucky I am to go to UCLA. The first thing people mention is usually our beautiful campus, and rightfully so. From the perfect grass in front of Powell Library to the immaculate pathway to the dorms, this university is astonishingly spotless.
Though facilities maintenance does a wonderful job with most of campus, one area remains a painful eyesore. It’s not the plethora of brown leaves or the endless flier litter ““ it’s the jam-packed bike racks. A cursory glance at the central storage racks brings the university’s impeccable cleanliness back to reality. While it’s understandable that the upkeep of these racks gets lost amid other pressing tasks, these areas inhibit this campus from reaching its peak aesthetics.
My problems with the bike racks have to do with the minimal vacancies and the unthinkable amount of space clogged by nonfunctional hunks of metal. I’m sure nearly every student has seen stripped-down bike frames, sans seats or tires, that remained chained to the U-shaped metal. These ex-road racers lie flat on the ground like junk at a garage sale, hogging space, polluting beauty and conveying desolation ““ the antithesis of our booming campus.
Bike remains can sit there for years on end, apparently in anticipation of the owner’s return. Meanwhile, daily bikers are robbed of this space to lock their bikes. UCLA must quickly do something about these eyesores to preserve our campus as one of the most gorgeous in the country. Daniel Walton, a mathematics graduate student, said parking his bike can be frustrating.
“With how crowded the racks are, it’s discouraging to park my bike, and I’d rather walk,” Walton said. “They first need to cut off all the bikes that have been sitting there for six months, then they should build some brand-new racks.”
With the sun coming out and parking still a huge headache, more students are choosing alternate means of getting to campus, such as riding their bicycles. Bike to Campus Week is May 12 through 14, and hundreds of riders are expected to participate.
It’s truly frustrating when you arrive at the motorcycle and bicycle rack adjacent to Ackerman Terminal 90 seconds before class, only to see that each and every bike space is double-booked. You’re forced to either keep riding to another spot or lift your bike up over the rack, hoping to wedge it between two unsuspecting bicycles.
The most irritating part is when you return to claim your bike around midnight and see that a full 1/4 of the bikes remain deadlocked. You know that these bikes aren’t going anywhere soon and despise those who use these racks as a warehouse for long-term storage. Even if you’re lucky enough to find a spot in this parking area, others can take advantage of your fortune, choosing your bicycle to be their rack. And after they’re done, they may even leave their chain locked to your handlebars.
“I once came back after class to find that someone left their giant, heavy lock bolted to my bike. I can’t get it off without big clippers, so I have been riding around with it everyday,” Walton said.
In light of these problems, the UCLA transportation department said they are working to improve these conditions.
David Karwaski, the planning and policy manager for the transportation department, said he endeavors to meet the logistical challenges of bike parking.
“With a few thousand parking spaces, it’s very difficult to check every single spot for abandoned bikes. There are bike racks everywhere, from Weyburn Terrace to the Sculpture Garden. We also face many other pressing issues, such as when people lock their bikes where they shouldn’t,” Karwaski said.
He also added that “bike sweeps are scheduled at the end of every quarter,” though he couldn’t confirm that one was completed during spring break.
The truth is that the upkeep of any on-campus area is a challenging and demanding task. Despite this difficulty, more resources need to be poured into the maintenance of bike racks. Since this eyesore is easily spotted amidst a near-immaculate campus backdrop, it makes it all the more necessary that we have all our grounds taken care of. As we well know, we enjoy a magnificent campus, and it would be a shame for that to be even minutely polluted.
If you’ve been frustrated by bike parking, then e-mail Pearring at spearring@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.