Departmental Bike Service – Parking Examples

A number of MSU departments provide bike-related services and work bikes as well to their staff to encourage them to ride bikes more often for a host of reasons that are well known.  This blog article illustrates some of those bikes at work around campus.  The following are additional services & amenities that have been installed and/or purchased by departments.  Consider asking your department administration about providing something similar to improve the bike-friendliness of your department.  Our departmental fleet services are described on this page of our website.

Cyclotron Secure Bike Parking facility:

One of the newest department facilities on campus, this secured bike storage facility offers space for approx. 40 bikes under cover and behind fencing that is card-access controlled.  It also features a security camera to monitor access.  The Cyclotron has also had a traditional key-access bike locker on their premises for a number of years that’s been available to 2 bicyclists at any given time.  A video tour of the facility can be seen here.  Questions about this facility can be sent to Tim Potter.   The vendor’s turn-key bike shelters can be seen here.  Here are some photos of the facilities:

The Cyclotron’s secure bike parking facility.

Features upgraded racks to assure higher capacity parking and to keep the bikes upright better than other designs.

Cyclotron’s bike locker (being reviewed by a visitor)

Bio-Engineering Secure Bike Parking Facility:

One of the newest research buildings on campus, the four-story, 130,000-square-foot Bioengineering Facility, features a nice secure MSU ID card-accessible bike parking facility on the exterior for area staff to use.  While it doesn’t feature a roof over the parking this is certainly a much improved amenity for staff in the buildings in this area who are concerned about the security of their bikes while at work.   This facility will be opening soon.  It is located between the Life Science and the Clinical Center buildings in the South Academic District.  Questions about this facility can be sent to Tim Potter.  Here are some photos of it as of taken this past summer:

Infrastructure Planning and Facilities’ Bike Services:

Gus on one of his work bikes in the IPF parking lot.

Employees of this large department have had the use of a growing fleet of bikes for decades.  Oftentimes trips to buildings on campus to check into maintenance issues can be easily done by bicycle to minimize costs to the department and provide options for staff to get some exercise and fresh air during their work day.  On the nicer days of the year it’s not uncommon for the 30 bike fleet (as of 10/18/16) to be in use.  Jeff Groll, the bike fleet manager for IPF, reports that of the 30 bikes in the fleet 6 are available for checkout by any IPF staff and the rest are assigned to individual employees.  Some of those assigned bikes even feature electric-assist systems to make the bike trips even less of a physical challenge as well as extending the possibilities of trips that can be done by bike.  Questions about the IPF bike fleet can be sent to Jeff here.   This IPF article (Aug. 2014) features the story of Gus Gosselin, who championed bike use within IPF for many years for additional background information.

Landscape Services new e-cargo bike in the field hauling a customized Bikes at Work brand trailer, May 2022.

Additionally, IPF has provided access to a bike locker for employees at the Simon Powerplant for a number of years.  Staff at this facility found the work environment inside to not be conducive for storing bikes inside, so the locker has helped provide an great alternative for some of their regular bike commuters with nicer bikes.  Some pics of that locker below:

The locker is located on the east side of the powerplant.

A visitor checks out the locker with Gus Gosselin.

Gus demonstrates how his work bike can easily be stored.

Secure Bike Parking Facilities on Campus

Management of this service is now under MSU Parking.  Please see updated information here.  If you’re ready to sign up for it visit the MSU Parking website.  Questions? Contact them via phone or email.

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Michigan State University is certified as a gold level Bike Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists (as of Feb. 2021; click here to read more about MSU’s award), but the high population density and unpredictable weather can be quite unfriendly to bicycle hardware and riders.

Two secure bike parking facilities (north and south campus) opened in the fall of 2013 to help alleviate some of those concerns for students, faculty and staff.

View of the Trowbridge Ramp bike garage from the bus waiting area.

Features an ATM, heat and good lighting along w/ a video security camera.

Inside the bike garage, features a DIY bike repair stand w/ air pump.

Nice natural light too.

Inside the bike garage, features a DIY bike repair stand w/ air pump.

Inside the bike garage, features a DIY bike repair stand w/ air pump.

MSU Bikes, a service unit of MSU Surplus & Recycling, worked with multiple units on campus to develop and install the MSU Bike Garages, enhanced-security parking facilities inside two vehicle parking ramps.

The two locations are inside the car parking ramps on Trowbridge Road and Grand River Avenue.

Did you know that students have free access to indoor bike rooms in many of the residence halls on campus?  This page has a summary of all the hall with indoor bike rooms.  Check the Live On website details for each res. hall and look for “bike storage”.  These are first-come first-served, so best to get a key from the front desk as soon as checking in.  Also, because they are shared with other students be sure and lock your bike in these rooms.

The MSU Bike Garages are fenced-in spaces on the ground level, providing protection from theft on all sides and some shelter from the elements. Access is controlled by the university’s card sensor technology seen in buildings across campus, and the caged instead of solid walls provide a safe level of visibility inside and outside the structure.

Inside the facilities, cyclists can lock up their ride in a row of Lightning Bolt™ racks, which are designed to keep bikes upright and work especially well with U-locks. Riders can also take advantage of a Dero Fixit™ station and air pump, similar to the self-serve amenities outside the Bikes Service Center in Bessey Hall.

The bike garage is on the ground floor of the Grand River Parking Ramp just inside the entrance/exit area.

Clear signage helps passers-by understand the purpose of the space.

A higher-quality rack was used for the bike garages to assure more orderly parking and to keep the bikes upright for longer term use.

Clear instructions and information is key.

The Bike Garage in the Grand River Avenue ramp can hold up to 50 bikes, while the one in the Trowbridge Road ramp has space for 23. Annual and shorter term memberships provide are available immediately and provide access to both facilities.  Since there is a physical capacity of 73 bikes that can be parked between the two facilities and membership will be available on a first-come first-served basis.

“Campus cyclists now have new options: if you live too far away from campus to ride your bike the whole way you can keep your bike in the garage over night and have it ready to ride once on campus.”  said Tim Potter, MSU Bikes’ Sustainable Transportation Manager, who oversees the operations.  “Or, if you find the garages too far away from your office consider keeping a 2nd inexpensive bike locked in the garage and then lock your nice bike in the garage and ride the cheaper one to your building.”

One of our customers’ top 10 favorite things about the bike parking garages:
1. Your campus bike (and all its removable parts) will all be there when you need them.
2. Your campus bike will stay dry and rust-free over nights and weekends.
3. It’s lit and safe in the dark winter mornings and evenings.
4. Your campus bike won’t get kicked in on the racks after the bar crawls.
5. You can park your car in the Grand River ramp then jump on your bike to get around campus fast – great during campus construction, game days or when the inner lots are full (that’s all the time.)
6. Leave a bike securely parked on campus and you’ve got easy access to the river trail for weekend rides.
7. Rent is cheap.
8. You get the most optimal parking spot on Grand River.
9. There’s a handy bike pump and repair stand. Super deluxe.
10. Your friends who bike in other cities will be jealous that you have such a luxurious work feature!
(courtesy Marian M. Reiter, retired MSU staff)

This blog post shows what other MSU departments have provided their employees for more secure and covered bike parking options which quite nice to encourage bicycling and might be an option for your department!