I was once a biker … before the accident. This past summer I tore my ACL and am currently unable to ride a bike, but over my first two years at the University of Wisconsin, I utilized my bike often along the numerous bike lanes woven through Madison. I remember being packed like a sardine in the lanes and dodging other bikers to avoid collisions only to be yelled at by pedestrians with insults like, “watch where you’re going, asshole,” or “are you freakin’ blind?!” No, I’m not; there are just a lot of bikers on this campus, in fact between 10,000 and 14,000, according to a recent estimate. However, as I have noticed, there does not seem to be enough bike racks in certain high traffic areas for the number of cyclists who call the Madison area home.

Bicycling Magazine rates Madison as the 7th most bike-friendly city in the United States, with 46 miles of bike paths, 112 miles of bike lanes and 116 miles of bike routes. With such an emphasis on biking in this city, you would think that there would be more than enough bike racks for students and professors heading to class, along with everyday cyclists. But with just fewer than 13,000 parking spots available for bikes, UW is leaving some bikers high and dry. From the standpoint of a student, it is pretty frustrating when you are already late to class, which is why you are riding your bike in the first place, and then you become even more late when you cannot find a spot for your Huffy.

There are definitely many racks that go unused, but there are also many that are densely populated, causing some bikes to be knocked over or entangled in other bikes, which can lead to brake, gear and pedal problems. Last year, my bike was knocked over so many times that the pedals fell off … and some guy still later stole it. Joke’s on him, I guess.

In reference to a rack by Van Hise with a mess of bikes entangled in and falling on one another, I once heard a bystander say, “It looks like a bike orgy.” And the solution to this orgy of bikes: racks on racks on racks. A Bike Rack City, if you will. The city should add more bike racks to the areas with heavy bike traffic, like on Charter and Linden by Van Hise, or, if it is possible, move racks from the areas that are less utilized to where they are actually needed. UW Transportation Services has mentioned adding 1,500 more parking spots for bikes over the next couple of years, but all of that will not matter unless they put these new parking spots in strategic locations, like along Charter or by Memorial Union. With more spots actually meant for bikes, there will also likely be a decrease in bike theft, as bikes will be more securely fastened and not as easily targeted as they are when locked up on their own to a pole or baby tree.

In losing my ACL, I have lost some sympathy for bikers as I now experience life simply as a pedestrian trying to avoid being sideswiped. However, in my past biker life, I remember the lack of bike parking on campus really boiling my stew. So, in hopes that my new ACL will heal and I will once again get back on the steel-framed horse to ride off into the Madison sunset on my way to class, let’s get some more bike racks where they are needed.

Hayes Cascia ([email protected]) is a junior with an undeclared major.