Pedal power is still going strong on campus despite some changing trends, says UC Davis Bicycle Program Coordinator David Takemoto-Weerts.

A slight decline in people bicycling to campus may exist, says Takemoto-Weerts, though it depends on how one looks at the numbers. In any event, he says, biking is still the most economical and environmentally friendly way to access campus.

For years schools across the country have looked to UC Davis as the leader in promoting a bike-friendly university campus. And the city of Davis is often referred to as "The Bicycle Capital of the United States."

However, nothing stays the same forever. Takemoto-Weerts says U.S. census data from 1990 shows that 23 percent of Davis residents made daily trips on bicycles compared to 17 percent in 2000. While that 1990 figure sounds a bit high to Tak.emoto-Weerts, a small drop in bicycling doesn't surprise him much.

"There's a little less bicycling than there was," he says, "but compared to any other campus or city, we're still outpacing everyone in bicycling."

Despite relatively low-growth rate policies that have been in effect for decades, Takemoto-Weerts says, the city has grown significantly both in population and area since the 1960s, with much new housing in the western and southern ends of town. This has resulted in greater travel distances from residences to campus and downtown Davis.

"But we still have it pretty good in Davis as far as bike travel goes," he says. "It's not that far to campus, and Davis enjoys a mild climate, level terrain and wide streets with ample bike lanes."

Another factor is that as Davis' cost of living has increased, more people -- including students -- who study and work on campus are less likely to reside in town. "Davis is changing from a small college town to more of a bedroom community," he says. "Simply, there are fewer people who both live and work in town, and can therefore consider biking as an option."

Changing demographics, however, didn't put a damper on the Bike to Work Day in California on May 15. Takemoto-Weerts says a crowd of more than 200 -- much larger than usual -- showed up in Davis' Central Park for an annual breakfast honoring the day. "We ran out of breakfast stuff this year, and we never do," he says.

Housing, buses contribute to trend

Psychology professor Bob Sommer agrees with Takemoto-Weerts that longer biking distances between residential areas and campus have contributed in part to fewer Davis cyclists. He recently wrote an article in the Davis Enterprise that says bicycling in Davis was on the decline.

"The city's gotten a lot bigger," he says. "Housing is farther away from campus."

He says the trend is especially apparent on campus among the student population. "Most people have noticed a decline in bikers. There's less of a concentration of cyclists traveling from class to class."

He also points to an increase in local bus ridership as well. "Yolo Bus and Unitrans have increased their riderships the last few years, and that may result in fewer people bicycling."

Sommer actually applauds the bus option. "Let them both prosper," he says, noting that bus travel provides the community with mass transit and environmental benefits.

He cited other bicycle-friendly college towns, including Missoula, Mont., (University of Montana), Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara), Eugene, Ore., (University of Oregon), and Minneapolis, Minn., (University of Minnesota).

"But Davis is far and way the best place for biking," Sommer says. "We have such a tradition here, and so many of our people have helped in the development of national and state standards for community bicycling."

Pioneering bike-friendly efforts

John Meyer, vice chancellor for resource management and planning, says Davis is a unique place for bike commuting because there are often separate facilities for bikes and cars.

"An extraordinary investment has been made in bicycle infrastructure by both the campus and the city," Meyer notes. "The commute is much more relaxing by bicycle and, best of all, you're outside and can experience the seasons. Of course, returning from a meeting across campus on a 102 degree day leaves something to be desired."

Meyer says he rides to work except when he has meetings off campus. "I've often thought the campus should purchase a pedicab so we could provide tours on three wheels instead of cars," he adds.

Paul Dorn, marketing manager for Mondavi Center, relocated to Davis from the Bay Area in 2001.

"Part of the attraction was the greater availability and affordability of housing," Dorn says. "But an additional factor in my move was Davis' well-deserved reputation as the most bike-friendly community in the US. In the 1960s Davis was the first city in the country to paint bike lanes on a street, and it has continued to pioneer innovative bike planning ever since."

Dorn notes the reasons he believes make Davis good for bicycling -- streets with minimal traffic. Bike lanes and traffic calming. Greenbelt bike paths. Bike-only traffic signal phases at major intersections. A university campus closed to vehicle traffic. Miles of empty country roads just outside town. Abundant bike parking everywhere. Great transit that facilitates a car-free lifestyle.

And, he says, a city government that "proactively encourages cycling, going so far as to feature an 1880s style high-wheeler as the city symbol.

"There are challenges in Davis, to be sure," Dorn says. "Car use continues to grow along with the city's population. This is still a community in a car-centered nation, after all. However, given the wide community recognition of the benefits of cycling, it seems certain that Davis will continue to provide a model for bike-friendly city planning."

Cyclists on campus are encouraged to register their bikes with Transportation and Parking Services in case they are stolen or missing. In fact, all bikes on the UC Davis campus must have a current California bicycle license. A new license costs $8 and a renewal is $4.

Takemoto-Weerts says the number of bike registrations has increased each year and about 90 percent of those registering bikes are students. Of course, rising student enrollment plays into that increase. "But I wouldn't equate the number of registered bikes with the numbers of actual bikes on campus," he says, adding that some people simply do not register their bikes. "No hard numbers really exist."

In Davis, including campus, Takemoto-Weerts estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 bike trips are made daily. A city of Davis bike plan in 2001 estimated that 50,000 bikes exist in Davis.

A century of bicycles and beyond

With the help of bicycle aficionados like Takemoto-Weerts, the campus is bringing together a collection of antique bicycles, velocipedes, tandems and other examples of human-powered transportation spanning from the 1820s to the 1920s. The idea is to establish a non-profit California Bicycle Museum based on this collection -- the first public bicycle museum west of the Mississippi.

A couple years ago the university obtained $440,000 from the Statewide Transportation Enhancement Activities funds to purchase the collection and subsequently embarked on a campaign to raise matching funds. The would-be museum creators include Takemoto-Weerts; Brodie Hamilton, former director of the UC Davis Transportation and Parking Services; city of Davis Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Tim Bustos; and Sacramento bike historian/collector Jacques Graber.

Another ongoing bike program is the UC Davis Bike Auction. One takes place in the fall quarter and another in the spring quarter. More than 300 bikes are usually available for an average selling price of $20-$30. The fall auction will be held Oct. 11, behind the UC Davis fire/police building.

Takemoto-Weerts notes that both the city and the university are taking steps to promote bicycling and its benefits to the community. In recent years, these steps include the hiring of a full-time city bicycle/pedestrian coordinator, the construction of the Dave Pelz Overcrossing of Interstate 80, the completion of the Putah Creek Undercrossing of Interstate 80 and the railroad, and an effort to take advantage of local, state and federal monies to fund bicycling improvements.

"With more and more communities becoming aware of the many advantages of bicycling," says Takemoto-Weerts, "UC Davis and the city can continue to serve as a shining example of what can be done when enough hard-working residents and officials agree on a common vision of what makes a place truly livable."