Campus News

Join Transportation Services for the Unveiling Party for Ride Blue: UK’s Bicycle Master Plan

Man on a bike.
Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 7, 2021) — The University of Kentucky has finalized its plan to take cycling on campus to the next level.

You’re invited to join in the celebration along with UK Transportation Services staff, as well as consultant company Gresham Smith, for an unveiling party where you’ll discover the details in a casual environment and be able to ask questions.

The unveiling party is planned for 2-4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13, at the Cornerstone Exchange ESports Theater, located on the first floor of Cornerstone Garage. Enjoy free food from UK Dining and see firsthand UK’s roadmap for enhancing and encouraging bicycling as a transportation choice, with the goal of moving the university toward a Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Campus designation.

Work on the Ride Blue plan began in earnest in early 2020 when the university contracted with Gresham Smith to develop a comprehensive guidebook. The plan is far-reaching; it examined existing conditions for cyclists on campus and ultimately came up with a master list of potential improvements. 

“The result is a holistic set of game-changing recommendations and priority projects designed to increase the number of people on and around campus who see bicycling as a safe, efficient and desirable transportation choice,” according to the document.

Prior planning efforts and community engagement played a big role in its creation. Input was sought from the UK community through a variety of methods, including an interactive website, wikimap, a virtual bicycle tour and targeted email and social media campaigns. Stakeholder workshops were also held, in addition to interactive virtual student forums.

This process resulted in a document that identifies 10 top-level UK-specific bicycle projects, plus 10 UK-community partnership projects. These individual projects will be highlighted during the unveiling party.

“I’m so excited to see the vision we have for a safer and more accessible campus come to life in this document, which is a reflection of all the feedback we received from students, employees and community members,” said Sandra Broadwill, UK Transportation Services’ alternative transportation manager. “We know many more people turned to cycling as a pastime during the pandemic, and we hope that we can improve our infrastructure to the point that those people will see commuting on two wheels as a desirable option for transportation, not just recreation. And what better way to celebrate our vision for the future than with a party?”

Join Transportation Services on Dec. 13 to discover what’s in store for cycling on campus! 

If you’d like the details but can’t join the party, read the plan in full on UK Transportation Services' website.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.