On Tuesday, around 60 students and community members lined up and joined the UB Cycling Team and Student Association on a campus-to-campus bicycle ride from North Campus to South Campus, a distance of approximately 4.1 miles.
Recreation Intramurals Services had bikes available for students who wished to participate in the event.
"The goal is to raise public awareness about the many public transportation options in Buffalo," said Zach Zweifler, a representative for the environmental stewardship committee and the transportation subcommittee. "There are many ways to get around Buffalo without using a car. Cycling in Buffalo is a great example, and there are many bicycle shops in the area that make it easy to get started."
The journey began outside the Student Union at the Special Events Field. Riders began at 11 a.m. and made their way to South Campus, where food and refreshments were available for all participants. Each cyclist also received a "swag bag" containing coupons, water bottles, and snacks, according to Zweifler. Different community groups had tables set up at the event to help advertise the multitude of public transportation options located throughout Buffalo.
Gladys Gifford, president of the Citizens for Regional Transit group, braved the windy weather to promote the NFTA Metro Rail and its availability to UB students. UB students who live within three-quarters of a mile to a metro rail station are eligible to receive a free Metro Rail voucher, which will allow them to ride the subway at no fee.
Gifford believes that as UB 2020 prospers, so will the NFTA Metro by eventually connecting North and South Campus by train and additionally creating a line that reaches the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Mike Vaughn, a junior history major, participated in the event and hopes it will inspire other students to use alternate means of transportation.
"I bike to class when it is warm out, so I figured why not join in on a bike parade," Vaughn said. "If other students see a big crowd of bikers going from campus to campus, they may feel like they can do it too."
UB Cycling Team President Annie Parodi and members Ted Olsen-Tank, a senior chemical engineering major, and Corey Knowles, an exercise science major, participated in the event as well. The cycling team competes within the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference and also rides casually throughout the Buffalo area.
"Cycling is such an easy way to get around, and [the cycling team] is hopeful that this event will help gain awareness about our club and what we do here on campus," Parodi said.
The cycling team is open to competitive members as well as casual cyclists who are looking to gain more experience.
Wellness Education Services was present at the event to provide riders and students with information about the health benefits of bike riding.
"A 30-minute bike ride burns approximately 200 calories," said Eileen Maher, a senior exercise science major and intern at Wellness Education Services. "If you rode your bike to school three times a week, it is equivalent to almost nine pounds of fat burned over the year. [The campus-to-campus bike ride] is a great way to increase physical activity and physiological health."
North Campus has the capacity to hold over 600 bikes at the bike racks located outside buildings on campus, according to Parking and Transportation Services. The Stampede buses are also equipped with bike racks, which students can use to easily transport their bikes between campuses.
Parking and Transportation Services has information on its website about using bicycle bus racks, locations around Buffalo for biking, and links to different community resources. For more information, visit http://www.ub-parking.buffalo.edu.
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