Top 10 Bike-Friendly College Campuses

September 05, 2018

When the League of American Bicyclists started designating Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFUs) in 2011, fewer than 50 campuses made the grade. Today, there are 185 BFUs in 45 states and Washington, DC. Let’s take a look at (in no particular order) 10 schools who are highly regarded for their bike-friendly infrastructure and policies.

Stanford University

Stanford has been a BFU since 2011 and boasts about 13,000 cyclists on their campus daily. The school has free bike safety classes, ample bike paths, and folding bike rentals.

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

When weather allows, UofM TC is a great place to bike (it earned Platinum BFU status). The school has 9,000 bike racks and uses a bike commuter program called The Zap!, which allows students to earn prizes for logging miles on a bike around campus.

Portland State University

Students at PSU can rent a bike for under $50 per term. The campus also has repair shops available and a lot of bike parking facilities. Grabbing one of the best bikes for college commuting pays off especially big in PDX because the whole city is a biker’s dream.

Colorado State University

An impressive 36% of CSU students bike to class. The CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee looks out for cyclists needs, and the school has invested a lot of money in bike racks and other infrastructure for the 15,000 bikers.

Boise State University

Boise State University has Gold BFU status thanks to its Cycle Learning Center, bike maps, repair shops, and compressed air stations.

University of California, Santa Barbara

With half of their students biking to school, UCSB had to rise to the challenge of accommodating cyclists. Free showers, bike racks, and 10 miles of bike paths are all a part of the UCSB experience.

Bowdoin College

Most people haven’t heard of this small New England campus which has just 1,800 students, but the Yellow Bike Program is fantastic. Student mechanics and affordable bike rentals make the biking experience breezy.

University of California, Davis

UC Davis invented the bicycle roundabout and has more than 20,000 bikes on campus on any given day. Cyclists will appreciate wide streets and a generous number of greenways and bike paths.

Michigan State University

MSU has made significant investments in bike infrastructure in recent years, adding 10 miles of bike paths since 2011. The campus also has five DIY repair shops, making it easy to stay up on two wheels.

Dickinson College

Dickinson College places a premium on being enterprising, which is why it’s no surprise the school offers innovative bike programs. The school lends free Red Bikes to students, faculty, and visitors alike. People can also rent a student-built bike for $25/semester.

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