How Biking around Campus Keeps Us Moving and Connected
Posted: June 29, 2026 | Author: Gabrielle Costello | Read Time: 2 minutes
In our fast-paced world, it's an easy habit to grab your car keys and head to campus, even when you're only a few blocks away. But what if you could break the cycle of car dependency and transform your campus experience?
What if, instead, you chose a bike, e-bike, or scooter? You could transform your commute beyond getting from point A to point B, and instead create a healthier, more affordable, and more connected experience at SUU.
Here is why making the switch matters for you and our community:
Massive Savings for Your Wallet
College expenses add up quickly, but your daily commute doesn't have to. Bikes, e-bikes, and scooters are highly cost-effective, eliminating the need for gas, parking permits, and vehicle maintenance costs.
Affordable transportation options are vital to our student body. They reduce financial barriers for students experiencing financial hardship and offer crucial independence to international students who may not have a U.S. driver's license. Consider buying a secondhand set of wheels for even greater cost savings through a local non-profit and SUU partner, like Cedar City Bike Works.
Think Green
Parking spaces are important to some of our campus community. However, if you consider that parking lots make up a massive footprint on campus (about 1,200,000 square feet or 4,000 parking spaces), it can make the decision to go green easier for some. Parking spaces for bikes on campus only require 6,432 square feet (536 spaces), which is 25 times less space than a parked vehicle.
Reducing our parking footprint helps keep our air clean, lowers fuel consumption, and reduces the "heat island effect" (a phenomenon where cities and developed areas experience significantly higher temperatures than their surrounding rural landscapes due to more parking lots). Choosing a bike gives back to the environment and paves the way for future improvements.
A Simple Cure for Social Connection
Choosing a bikeable lifestyle does wonders for your well-being. Studies show that bikeable communities see a 39% reduction in diabetes rates and a 47% increase in their sense of community.
Local health data, under the Cedar City's Get Healthy Utah campaign, found that our community's number-one health need was social connection. Biking bridges that gap naturally. People who commute by bike report enjoying their daily travel significantly more than drivers. To foster this connection, the community is working on organizing weekly group rides and bike events for T-Birds and Cedar City to ride, connect, and thrive together.
SUU is actively working to break the car-centric cycle by expanding dedicated bike resources, infrastructure, and awareness across campus.
This Is Where You Soar
Biking offers a holistic, sustainable approach to campus life. Better bike infrastructure makes transportation affordable, accessible, and safe. When one area of campus life improves, it creates momentum across all the others. Dust off your helmet, pump up your tires, and experience the benefits for yourself! Check out the SUU Biking Resource Page to discover campus repair stations, safety tips, and information from the SUU Bike Committee.
