The Walk Your Wheels campaign, launched by Undergraduate Student Government this fall, officially pushes off Sept. 28 with an event outside the Memorial Union.
USG representatives have been handing out Walk Your Wheels cards for students to fill out to be entered in a drawing to win prizes such as tickets to the Blue Man Group at ASU Gammage in November, iTunes gift cards, Sun Dollars, football tickets and an iPad.
“The goal of this event is to raise more awareness about the campaign and encourage students to exercise safer practices on campus when it comes to biking (and) skateboarding,” said USG vice president Tina Mounlavongsy.
A DJ and multiple food vendors will be in attendance to provide entertainment to students Mounlavongsy said.
“Multiple departments in the University are doing what they can to support our campaign, including donating prizes and time for the cause,” Mounlavongsy said.
USG has been trying to spread the word for the Walk Your Wheels campaign since Fall Welcome Week, but postponed the official launch of the campaign until after the signs went up around campus.
“We felt it would be best to launch the campaign officially once the signage was permanently installed on campus,” Mounlavongsy said.
Last week, ASU posted 30 signs on the Tempe campus encouraging students to get off their bikes, skateboards and scooters in heavy-traffic areas such as in front of the MU and on Palm Walk.
Signs have been up for only one week, but students continue to weave their wheels in and out of traffic.
“Of course not everyone’s going to pay attention to it,” Mounlavongsy said. “But we’re trying it this semester as a trial to see how students react to it, and depending on how it goes will determine our next step in terms of if we’re going to increase safety on campus for next semester.”
Foreign language freshman Nicole Lindell hadn’t noticed the signs around campus but said she walks her bike through crowded areas regardless.
“I walk my bike just because it’s too crowded and I don’t really want to run into people,” Lindell said. “If it’s a little bit crowded I’m usually careful about (riding), but if it gets too crowded I just walk my bike because it’s easier.”
Lindell said she has seen two students collide on their bikes and flip over on the Tempe campus.
Global health senior Daniel Agbavwe said he prefers to walk around campus because he has also seen too many collisions.
“I’d prefer walking in crowded areas because I’ve seen quite a bit of accidents already with students hitting each other with skateboards,” Agbavwe said.
Mounlavongsy and USG want students to know the campaign is not a ban on riding skateboards and bicycles, but an encouragement to be safe while riding those wheels around campus.
“We want people to know that we encourage the use of bicycles, skateboards and other healthy, environmentally-friendly modes of transportation,” Mounlavongsy said.
ASU faculty and students can find more information and updates about the campaign at walk.asu.edu.
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