Brake on bikes: Police will enforce Walk ban

The party's over. Monday is the deadline for bikes to be off Locust Walk, according to University Police commissioner John Kuprevich. "We'll be out there doing the enforcement November 1st," he said. "There have been notices in the Almanac and the Compass." The ban will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., Monday through Friday, and be effective on Locust, Smith, and Hamilton Walks. Kuprevich said University Police did all they could to give the community fair notice. "We've contacted community groups," he said. "We've tried to put everything up front." And in spite of some protests from bicycle advocacy groups, the ban will be in full effect Monday. "We will use a progressive mode in warning people, but clearly, if someone is out there and riding in such a fashion that they place themselves or others in danger, we will use enforcement up to and including a citation," Kuprevich said. "And that is an officer's discretion." Kuprevich said people have already started to follow the policy, so enforcement should not come as a shock. And while riders on the Walk are usually cautious when surrounded by pedestrian traffic, Kuprevich said, the ban is necessary to protect people from reckless cyclists. "I think there are people who will not listen until they have tickets to pay, and we will deal with these people," Kuprevich added. Students who ride their bicycles around campus expressed anger about the policy last night. "I think it sucks," College senior Dave Hong said. "I think more people should bike than walk. It's safer." Other students didn't see the need for a ban. "I haven't heard of accidents," said College sophomore Eddie Belmont. "It's ridiculous." College sophomore Piyush Agarwal said it was just another slight against students who ride bikes around campus. He said he is still upset about grates that have gone up in front to Steinberg-Dietrich Hall that stop students from locking their bicycles to the retaining iron posts. "It's really an inconvenience," he said. "We're part of this campus too." But Kuprevich maintains the policy is not to discriminate, but to ensure the safety of pedestrians on the walkways.