Reckless riders may be asked to walk if offenses continue.
By Adriana Ruiz
aruiz168@student.alamo.edu
Despite online rules that say otherwise, students may ride their bikes on campus as long as they do it responsibly, said Deputy Chief Joe Pabon Sept. 18.
That means being careful and courteous to pedestrians, he said.
According to the Alamo Colleges police department’s website, “Bicycles shall not be operated on pedestrian walkways or sidewalks, except for Police Bike Patrol.”
Pabon said the information on the website is incorrect and students are allowed to ride their bikes.
Pabon said he does not know when the change was approved, but bikes have never been allowed since he began working here two years ago.
“At one point, it was not allowed, but now we are encouraging students to do so safely,” Pabon said.
In the past, riding bikes, skateboards and skates was not allowed, and campus officers were required to tell students to stop riding, Pabon said.
Social work sophomore Robert Vanegas said in the spring semester a friend was told by campus police to get off his bike and walk to class.
Officer Michael Castillo said occasionally students approach him on campus saying they were bumped or nearly bumped by a cyclist.
Castillo said students do not always want to escalate the situation, but he will still try to catch up to the cyclists and tell them to be more careful.
Castillo said even though he cannot force students to stop riding their bikes on the walkways, he will still stop cyclists and encourage them to walk instead.
“Pedestrians have the right of way, not bicyclists,” Castillo said.
Castillo said he regularly patrols the campus on his bike, but whenever there are a lot of people on the walkways he will get off his bike and walk.
Castillo said he encourages students to do the same.
“We talk to them and ask them to be more mindful of traffic,”he said.
He said the point is for students to get to class safely.
1 Comment
Okay great , However Unlawful Police stops?????
yes ,Biking should always be courteous to pedestrians and watchful for traffic on the Road and Pathways. However the Large Pathways at SAC are also used by maintenance Carts, Pickup Trucks,Blood Mobile,RVs, Car shows as well as pedestrians, Joggers and Bicycles…. so why Pick on Students or Faculty on Bikes regularly and in your article Campus Officer Castillo states he will still stop riders on Bikes and encourage them to walk?? Doesn’t that amount to an Illegal Police Stop without Probably Cause if no Laws/Texas Penal Codes has been broken ??? and what if the student doesn’t stop are we going to have an Incarnate word Redus escalation type situation???
Is this the Alamo College Policy to perform Unlawful stops on students, faculty or staff who may simply violate no Law other than be on a Bicycle?? According to the architecture and planning the Large Pathway were designed to accommodate light traffic of all kinds joggers,bikes etc,,, and are considered light “roadway pathways” which makes them bike capable unlike sidewalks which they are not, they are Large pathways similar to roads.