Officers from Associated Students’ Bicycle Improvements Keep Everyone Safe committee recently approved plans to build and upgrade bike parking at Kerr Hall and install more publicly accessible bike pumps across campus.

Most of the existing half-moon racks on the sidewalk adjacent to Kerr Hall will remain for the time being, while approximately 350 additional spaces of multi-level Peak racks will be added by the lawn at South Hall. B.I.K.E.S.’ budget for the project is $124,000, including approximately $15,000 in contingency funds.

According to third-year sociology and Asian American studies major Danny Khuu, the presently overcrowded parking facility presents a safety hazard for bikers.

“The accessibility at Kerr Hall is problematic, if not dangerous; you always see bikes thrown around,” Khuu said. “New bike racks would be a welcome addition, especially during midterms and finals weeks.”

B.I.K.E.S. Committee Advisor Dennis Whelan, senior planner for campus planning, said the allocated funds are to be used not only for the additional bike racks but also to improve the landscape of the surrounding area.

“While $100,000 is a lot of money, this [project] south of Kerr Hall is not just bike parking — it includes trees, shrubs, landscaping, formal entryways and a driveway that is in compliance with [the Americans with Disabilities Act],” Whelan said. “We’re really making this an elegant addition to the landscape.”

According to Whelan, students who plan to utilize Davidson Library’s future reading room will benefit from the new renovations as well.

Additionally, B.I.K.E.S. approved $1,100 for the installation of seven Dero Air Kit bike pumps throughout campus at their April 27 meeting.

According to B.I.K.E.S Program Chair Nathan Pfaff, adding freestanding pumps to areas like the bus loop and the library, in addition to existing repair stands in the residence halls, will help to lessen accessibility issues.

“We came up with the idea from the observations we made at the repair stations around campus,” Pfaff said. “If you spread [more pumps] around a bit, it makes it easier for people.”

The next project B.I.K.E.S. will tackle includes improvements to the dangerous intersection next to the Student Affairs and Administrative Services Building. According to Whelan, the committee has already commissioned a designer for the project.

“A.S. Bikes has funded a design consultant to investigate improvements at the intersection at SAASB,” Whelan said. “We’ve had a meeting with him and a group of users, and we are waiting for the next stage of his work.”

According to the A.S. B.I.K.E.S. website, the project could convert the area into a roundabout, which would cost upwards of $200,000 and take multiple years to complete. A.S. B.I.K.E.S. receives about $88,000 each year from student lock-in fees.