Grant to CSU helps faculty, staff bike to work

July 13, 2015

Faculty and staff 50 years and older can get Back on the Bike, thanks to a Kaiser Permanente grant. The grant, awarded to Parking and Transportation Services, supports a program to help faculty and staff become more comfortable riding a bike to work. The program, Back on the Bike, is now seeking participants for sessions starting the fall semester. The program, geared toward engaging more people in active transportation and physical activity, helps CSU employees who want to bike to work assess their health, tune up their bike, get safety gear, and learn tricks to travel in traffic and overcome other safety or comfort obstacles through personalized travel training. To qualify, faculty and staff must be at least 50 years old, live within a Fort Collins zip code, and want to commute by bicycle. Training helps with health, safety concerns Back on the Bike will offer faculty and staff travel training programs including:

  • Confidential health assessments administered by the Recreation Center
  • Free bicycle tune up
  • Free bike safety gear including a bike lock, helmet, light, and carry bag
  • Hands on travel training and bicycle skills development
  • Eight monthly training and discussion group sessions with lunch provided
  • Online participation tracking system
  • The opportunity to recruit other eligible employees
“CSU is in one of the nation’s friendliest biking cities, but it can be intimidating to commute to work when the ride includes traveling in traffic, navigating trails and planning your day around the commute,” said Aaron Fodge, alternative transportation manager for CSU, housed in Parking and Transportation Services. “Many faculty and staff members may be tempted to try commuting to work during the summer, but don’t want to get stuck on campus during an afternoon rainstorm, or just simply haven’t hopped on a bike for a while. This grant is designed to provide them with everything they need to be able to get on their bikes this summer and enjoy all that campus and Fort Collins have to offer for those on two wheels,” Fodge said. Because of this program, many employees are overcoming these obstacles and biking to work. CSU employees offer testimonials for the program Sign up by August 4 to participate Participation in the program requires that employees attempt to commute by bicycle to work three times per week from September-November and March-May, and one time a week during December-February. To participate, employees should sign up by August 4. To participate in the Get Back on the Bike program, contact Amanda Fitzpatrick at (970) 491-7600 or Amanda.Fitzpatrick@colostate.edu.

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