BVC-CHAT bike showers on campus?

[Jonathan Coopersmith]

FYI -- I submitted the following to the Committee on the Built Environment, 
which has some say on the new buildings being constructed on campus.

         Jonathan


>I hope the CBE will include showers for cyclists in the new buildings now 
>under design.  Such showers would encourage commuting by bicycle, thus 
>reducing automobile congestion and demand for parking while also improving 
>the health of the commuters.  These benefits will save the university 
>money in terms of less time and gas wasted driving, parking spaces not 
>built, and holding down health care costs.  Designing space for showering 
>and changing now will reduce the cost of providing these facilities 
>compared with a retrofit, and demonstrate the university’s commitment to 
>bicycling commuting.  Compared with the cost of adding parking space, 
>showers are a bargain.
>
>Next to safe biking routes and a good place to lock a bike, the ability to 
>shower and change from sweaty cycling clothes into appropriate 
>professional attire is one of the best ways to encourage 
>commuting.  Locally in a spring 2005 survey of 74 A&M bicyclists, 54% said 
>that showers and changing facilities would encourage them to commute more 
>often (Evaluating Bicycling Commuter Experiences at Texas A&M, 
>37).  Nationally, commuting advocacy groups have made similar statements 
>(but often state that showering may not be necessary, proving they have 
>not cycled in a Texas summer, all nine months of it).
>
>A complementary way to encourage bike commuting would be to allow 
>commuters free or low-cost access to the Rec Center to shower.  The 
>problem with this approach is that the Rec Center is not central to many 
>on campus and the lack of privacy may discourage commuters from leaving 
>their clothes and wallets unattended while showering.
>
>Another advantage of shower and changing facilities is that they encourage 
>lunchtime running, an additional fitness benefit.
>
>Some additional information follows this letter and everything is being 
>sent by campus mail.  If you need more information, that can be provided.
>
>Thank you for considering making A&M more bike-friendly.
>
>         Yours sincerely,
>
>
>
>
>Jonathan Coopersmith
>Associate Professor
>         j-coopersmith at tamu.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Enclosures:
>
>TTI, Evaluating Bicycling Commuter Experiences at Texas A&M and Adjacent 
>Areas in the City of College Station, Texas, 2005.
>
>Florida Institute for Marketing Alternative Transportation, “Developing 
>Successful Bicycle/Pedestrian Commuter Programs,” August 1996
>
>Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, “Lockers, Showers & Changing 
>Rooms,” 1999-2000.
>
>Dave Bachman, “PennDOT lockers/showers,” October 13, 2005.
>
>Miscellaneous links and information
>
>
>
>TAPS Bike n’ Shower Program
>UCSC Faculty and staff who commute to campus by bike are eligible to 
>participate in the Bike Commuter Shower Program. Participants gain free 
>access to the shower facilities at both the East and West Field Houses, a 
>short–term locker and towel.
>Faculty and staff must register with the TAPS Sales Office to participate 
>in this program; showing a valid Student ID Card gives students the same 
>access. For more information call the TAPS Sales Office at 831–459–4543, 
>or send us an email inquiry.
>http://www2.ucsc.edu/taps/pages/bikeshowerprogram.html
>
>
>Shower wish list details:
>* Good ventilation is essential - you don't want to come out sweatier than 
>when you went in.
>* A small bench is handy to place personal belongings while you shower.
>* Make sure the hot water supply is up to the task before the shower is fitted
>* Somewhere to dry towels and wet riding gear will stop radiators, backs 
>of chairs, etc, becoming cluttered.
>* A well-drained floor is a must - there's nothing worse than having wet 
>socks all day.
>* Lockers are the finishing touch. They're ideal to keep a change of clothes.
>http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/commute-tdm.htm#Shower
>
>
>Shower and Changing Facilities
>
>Commuters who bicycle or walk often arrive wet, muddy or sweaty. Providing 
>employees with a place to shower, change and store clothes can encourage 
>bicycle commuting. Such facilities also benefit employees who exercise 
>during breaks or may occasionally need to wash and change clothes for 
>other reasons. There are several ways that employers can provide such 
>facilities.
>
>·         A shower and clothes lockers can be designed into new or 
>retrofitted buildings.
>
>·         A shower and clothes lockers can sometimes be added to existing 
>restrooms. A single shower stall and space to change clothes typically 
>requires a six by four foot space.
>
>·         Several businesses located close together, or a Transportation 
>Management Association, can establish shower and changing facilities that 
>are shared by employees at several buildings.
>
>·         Employers can arrange to use showers and changing rooms at a 
>nearby recreation center or gym. This may require special arrangements to 
>access the facilities when they would otherwise be closed.
>http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm85.htm
>
>For a more comprehensive look at encouraging commuting, see “Traffic 
>Demand Management: 20+ Ways Business Can Increase ‘EarthSmart Commuting’,"
>www.crazycolour.com/os/bike2work_03.shtml
>

Jonathan Coopersmith
Associate Professor
Dept. of History
MS 4236
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas  77843
979.845.8584
979.862.4314 fax

Secretary
History & Philosophy of Science Section (L)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
aaas.org 
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