Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington

Number of Bicycle Lockers: 60 bicycle lockers
Future Installations: 60 bicycle lockers

Reasons for Specification

• Encourage campus residents to use bicycles
• Reduce bike theft
• Protect bikes from crime and inclement weather
• Keep landscape looking clean and well maintained
• Complements Gonzaga’s theme of, “cura personalis,” or care for the individual
• Ease of installation – no assembly required
• Variety of locker styles available provided flexibility for site locations

…During their rebuilding effort, Gonzaga added 60 American Bicycle Security Company Lockers to their campus.

The presence of bike parking complements the University’s goal to educate the whole person, “mind, body, and spirit,” and their guiding theme, “cura personalis,” care for the individual, by encouraging them to include health and fitness activities, like bicycling, into their schedule. The majority of our population tends to become less active as they get older _ bicycling improves personal fitness, enhances energy, and is easy on the body.

The bicycle lockers Gonzaga elected to purchase are from American Bicycle Security’s 300 series, which includes a variety of styles. They received model number 302 which accommodates two bikes in each locker, the 301P which can house one bike and can fit into a pie shape group with other units, and the 301 which can also hold one bike but can be installed up against a building or other structure.

One of the primary reasons Gonzaga elected to install American Bicycle Security’s lockers was because of their versatility — these bike lockers helped meet the unique needs of all of Gonzaga’s locations. What’s more, the lockers were shipped to them completely assembled, so they did not incur any additional installation or assembly charges.

So far, the American Bicycle Security program has been extremely popular among the students and staff. According to Scott Murray, Director of Campus Services, “100 percent of the lockers are currently rented! The students and staff love them and want more,” he added.

Stella Kent, Crime Prevention Coordinator at Gonzaga, and member of the Campus Bike Patrol, uses the bike lockers regularly, and echoed Murray’s comments. The bike lockers are, “100 percent better than locking your bike to racks outdoors, where they are more likely to be stolen! And they are very easy to get your bike in and out of,” said Kent.

What’s more, you can “ride away from the site without having to carry your bike up and down the stairs, or in and out of buildings,” she added.

Prior to installing the bicycle lockers, the University relied on traditional bike racks. According to Kent, the lockers have, “definitely reduced bike theft on campus — the thieves have become frustrated.”

This is great news for Gonzaga because statistics compiled by the FBI indicate that an average of 450,000 bicycles are stolen each year! Furthermore, other reports, suggest that twice as many as that are stolen each year, but they are never reported.

Kent added that the lockers have also been very easy to manage – a great plus for a lean organization. No damage has been reported to the lockers, and they haven’t had any break-ins.

Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut

Number of Bicycle Lockers: 30 bike lockers

Reasons for Specification

• Encourage campus residents to use bicycles
• Reduce bike theft
• Keep landscape looking clean and well maintained
• Ease of installation – no assembly required
• Easy to move if needed
• Option of grouping bike lockers together or individually
• Durability – able to withstand New England climate
• Price, quality, and dire necessity

… The 30 bike lockers that Southern Connecticut University elected to install will help to ease the traffic and congestion in and around their campus. The lockers provide bike commuters with the peace of mind they need, in order to use their bike to get around campus rather than their car. They know that their bike will be totally protected from the elements and theft in an American Bicycle Security bike locker.

“Because of the bike lockers we can provide the necessary customer service that resident students and faculty expect,” said Sal Rizza, Assistant Director of Housing/Director of Schwartz Hall/Residence Hall Area Coordinator/Purchasing Representative.

“Although Southern Connecticut State University is a very safe and secure institution, there is still the possibility of theft. Having secure bicycle lockers {reduces} the possibility of those thefts. When you make the comparison between a “bicycle locker” versus a typical “bicycle rack,” it would be so much more involved to break into the locker and risk getting nabbed by the campus police or an eye witness,” he added. Not one of the bicycle lockers has been broken into since they were installed this year.

The freshmen that live on campus may be especially thankful for the lockers, since they are not permitted to drive a motor vehicle to campus, and the bike lockers are the only totally enclosed protection that the University offers for bikes. Residents at the University are prohibited from storing their bicycles within the residence halls and the surrounding buildings, so the only place for bicycle storage is outside in the elements.

So far, the students are, “enjoying the convenience, peace of mind, and safety that the bike lockers provide. And there have been no reported break-ins to the bike lockers,” said Rizza. Students can rent the lockers for $40 per semester.

While American Bicycle Security Company offers many different types of bike lockers, Southern Connecticut State University elected to install model number 302 with Medeco high security T – Handle locks. Each of the lockers can hold 2 bikes, and they can stand alone, or be grouped together since they do not share any common walls.

What’s more, they are also the first one-piece lockers available that are not molded out of soft and flammable HDPE plastic material. Since the lockers are constructed out of fiberglass reinforced plastic they are highly resistant to impact, stains, and will not corrode.

“They were the most practical for a campus environment. They are very safe, durable, and able to withstand the constant shift in New England weather. Also, if a section of the locker broke in some way, we could replace the part and not the whole unit,” said Rizza. “And American Bicycle Security has provided excellent service,” he added.

Plans are already tentatively underway to add even more bike lockers to the campus. As the University continues to expand, so may its bike parking program. Within the next couple of years the new residence hall, and student center will be completed, so an increase in students may also mean an increased need for bicycle lockers.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

Reasons for Specification

• Encourage campus residents to use bicycles
• Protect bikes from crime and inclement weather
• Ease of installation – no assembly required
• Ease of installation – no assembly required
• Easy to move if needed

… The response to the bike lockers, in particular, has been very positive. In fact, there has been such a high demand for the lockers, UW – Madison officials decided to expand the number of bike lockers they have this year, bringing the total number of lockers on campus to 35. And already, all of those lockers are rented, and there is an extensive waiting list for any lockers that may become available.

American Bicycle Security Company bike lockers provide the University with many benefits, they help to reduce traffic and congestion in and around the campus, and they encourage students and staff to use an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. What’s more, unlike racks, the lockers totally enclose the bike, providing protection from the elements and from theft.

One of the other reasons the University may have elected to install bike lockers is due to the fact that there is limited parking on campus, and for those 5,800 students who live on campus, there is no parking available at all. And what’s the next most viable form of transportation next to the automobile? Bicycling. For those who may be reluctant to commute by bike the lockers provide them with the peace of mind they need to commute — they know their bike will be there, when they come out of class, with all of its parts still on it, and they will have a dry seat to sit on.

“The bike lockers are a great incentive for people to commute to campus in all types of weather,” said Alison Carpenter, University of Wisconsin Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.

“They are also a wonderful addition to the many other incentives we provide on campus, all of which directly, and indirectly, encourage the use of alternative transportation,” added Carpenter. Currently, the bike lockers are rented to students and staff per-semester, or annually, at a rate of $31.50/semester, $21.00/summer, or $84/per year.

The University elected to install American Bicycle Security’s model number 302, which can hold two bikes in each bicycle locker. While American Bicycle Security offers many locking options, including electronic locks, and coin-operated locks, administrators at the UW – Madison elected to go with Medeco High Security T Handle Locks, which are recessed into the face of the door and feature an internal bar locking system, allowing for optimum protection.

According to Carpenter, they haven’t had any break-ins to the bike lockers, and they have been very easy to manage. “We haven’t had any problems with the lockers, the installation went well, and quickly because of the pre-assembled condition. The other brand of lockers we’ve used had to be taken apart and reassembled when relocated for construction or other purposes,” she said.

What’s more, their bicycle lockers do not share any common walls so they can stand alone, or group together. They are also the first one-piece lockers available that are not made of molded of soft and flammable HDPE plastic material. Since the bike lockers are constructed out of fiberglass reinforced plastic they are highly resistant to impact, stains, and will not corrode.