University’s planning, design and delivery of cycling facilities recognised
The University of Tasmania has received national recognition for its commitment to sustainability, winning an award in the 2013 Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards.
UTAS received the Achievement Award for an Educational Institution for its highly successful planning, design and delivery of cycling facilities.
UTAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen said the award was a wonderful acknowledgment of the University’s commitment to sustainability.
"The award is a pleasing recognition of the University’s delivery of improved bike-friendly infrastructure as a critical component of our Sustainable Transport Strategy.
"Our Sustainability Team in the University’s Commercial Services and Development http://www.utas.edu.au/commercial-services-development/ section has striven to be innovative in developing the University’s bike infrastructure, highlighted by our popular Bike Hub, opened last October."
The Bike Hub includes electric bike charging points powered by solar panels, individual bike lockers and covered parking areas.
"The bike infrastructure development has been a truly collaborative venture involving students and user groups in design and has received both State and Federal Government funding support," Prof Rathjen said.
"To date main developments have been on the Sandy Bay Campus but it is proposed to extend these to other campuses in the near future."
Mr Corey Peterson, UTAS Sustainability Manager, travelled to Canberra to accept the "very welcome" award.
"We had more than 100 students and academics involved over the two year project to research and analyse transport needs, plan the solutions and even participate in the design and construction of the Bike Hub facilities to transform the way we travel to the Uni.
"Our students came up with some cutting-edge design elements and innovative solutions for the charging stations for electric-assisted bicycles.
"As Hobart is fairly hilly, we know from surveys that more people would take up cycling if they had a little bit of help, which is where the e-bike focus comes in," he said.
"Such a wide cross section of the University community participating in the project has encouraged ownership of solutions and engendered better understanding of the benefits of our sustainability efforts more generally."
The Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards are conducted annually by the Cycling Promotion Fund, an initiative of the bicycle industry, as an important forum to promote the benefits of cycling and the difference bikes can make to health, community and travel in Australia.
The Awards are strongly supported by national peak organisations, federal Parliamentarians and the Parliamentary cycling group.
Read more about the UTAS Bike Hub here: http://www.utas.edu.au/commercial-services-development/whats-new/news/property-services-news/new-bike-hub-on-campus