NDC bike lockers are full – join the waitlist.

By: Emma Carey

Instructor Kevin Boon likes to combine his cardio with his commute by cycling to Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus for work. 

Boon bikes to work because of the College’s Sustainability Office’s promotion  and Winnipeg becoming increasingly bike-friendly. 

Boon said he wishes he had a bike locker.

A row of bike lockers outside the main entrance of Red River Colleges Notre Dame Campus on Sept. 22, 2019. The bike lockers can be found in different outdoor locations across campus. /EMMA CAREY

Bike lockers at the NDC were introduced as part of RRC’S first phase in their Transportation Plan. The Transportation Plan offers sustainable transportation options.

Current staff and students can apply to rent one of the 34 lockers through the Campus Store. The lockers had a monthly $10 rental fee when first introduced in October 2017 but are now free. 

There are no lockers left at NDC.

Manager Anthony Carl Francisco at the Notre Dame Campus Store said more staff than students occupy the lockers. There are two staff and one student on the waitlist. 

For Boon, having a locker would make him more likely to cycle as his bike would need less maintenance since a locker would keep it protected from the elements. 

RRC instructor Daniel Enns bikes nearly every day to the NDC and has had a bike locker since they first arrived. Enns said the lockers are quick and easy to use, they keep his bike sheltered, and provide a convenient place to store his helmet and jacket. 

“It’s been pretty painless,” he said.  

The Exchange District Campus doesn’t offer bike lockers to students and staff. There are indoor and outdoor spaces for bikes but Tim Hoover, a student at the EDC, said it’s not nearly enough. 

A bike rack is packed inside the Exchange District Campus on Sept. 24, 2019. /EMMA CAREY

“Bike parking here is brutal,” said Hoover. 

Hoover said he doesn’t trust locking his bike outside but he knows if they wants a space inside bikers must arrive early.

Students can also store bikes in the basement of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute.

“If the college really cares about sustainability and climate change, they need to step up the bike parking situation big time,” said Hoover. “Bike lockers at the Exchange District Campus would be a great first step.” 

Read RRC’s phase one of the Transportation Plan: https://cpb-ca-c1.wpmucdn.com/www.rrc.ca/dist/c/13/files/2017/09/RRC-Transportation-Plan-Phase-1-Final.pdf.