Ben Hicks
Overlooking the Red Cedar River, the MSU Bike Service Center attracts community members and students throughout the year. The Facilities Planning Space Management Office partnered with the Service Center and the the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) in the summer of 2015 to increase accessibility to community members and students alike.
Wheelchair users on campus only had one place to go when they encountered technical problems with their wheelchairs: the RCPD. The routine repairs that the RCPD engaged in were important. Unfortunately, these repairs were also time-consuming. Before long, the repairs became unsustainable. The solution was to have the RCPD formally train employees at the Service Center on wheelchair repair. Tim Potter, the Sustainable Transportation Manager at the Service Center, helped pin-point what was needed to be upgraded in order to accommodate this solution.
He noticed that the ramp leading to the entrance of the Bike Shop was often congested with bikes on display, impairing accessibility. The entrance door itself was relatively narrow and also created an obstacle. To remedy these problems, a major renovation was envisioned.
The newly renovated front entrance to the MSU Bike Service Center.
Years of planning and negotiating paid off when the renovations to Bike Shop were approved by the Facilities Planning Space Management Office. Once the project got started on August 10th, 2015 it took only a few weeks to complete. On August 24th, the newly renovated entryway was debuted. Since then a railing enclosing the entryway has been installed with a new, wider power activated door.
With the new ramp, wheelchair users and bikers can both access the MSU Bike Service Center more easily. These renovations profoundly enhance the accessibility and safety of the center, while symbolizing a newly established partnership with the RCPD.