Trinity is currently installing bike racks along the side of the Old Library and on either side of the Dining Hall, increasing the capacity for parking bicycles on campus.
In an email statement to The University Times, the College Bursar, Prof Veronica Campbell, said the move “aligns with Trinity’s sustainability strategy”.
In May, a survey of transport in Trinity showed that 97 per cent of students and staff opt for “smarter travel” methods, including walking, cycling and public transport.
With space often at a premium for bike parking in Front Square, the new racks – which look set to accommodate at least 50 bicycles – will offer an alternative to the chaining of bikes to the fences around Front Square.
The racks are currently enclosed within temporary fencing.
Front Square has undergone a visual evolution in recent times, having lost both its centuries-old Oregon maple trees over the summer. In June, the first fell in the middle of the night, with the second being cut down a month later due to the risk of collapse.
During the summer months, College also installed cantilevered wheelchair lifts outside the Exam Hall and the Chapel. Speaking to The University Times in July, the project’s sponsor, the Director of the Disability Service, Declan Treanor, said Trinity was “doing something unique”.
“Trinity always try very hard to put the two together to make sure that we’re not destroying buildings, but also making them accessible”, he said.
Trinity has recently taken various steps to make the campus more environmentally friendly. The College trialled direct democracy to find out student preferences on where to start the process of making Trinity plastic free. Plastic cups and straws will no longer be used in food outlets on campus.
After a long student-led campaign, Trinity divested from fossil fuels. Many institutions followed suit and this year the Dáil voted to divest.
