"Are you parking or leaving?" one student asks another while waiting for a space to open on a bike rack.

Students said they are angry and frustrated with the lack of space in campus bike racks and are being ticketed unfairly.

"Most buildings on campus do not have enough parking spaces in the bike racks," said Jason Sales, computer science senior.

Another student said everyone should have the right to ride and park their bike, regardless of what time they get to campus.

"It is a hassle. If we don't have a place to park our bikes, then OUDPS should take that into account before they give a ticket," said Jacob Hall, business administration freshman.

Joe Lester, OU Department of Public Safety chief, said OUDPS and parking and transit officers will ticket bicycles that are chained to railings and handicapped access ramps.

Occasionally, officers will also ticket bikes chained to trees, said Theta Dempsey, interim parking and transit administrator.

Fines for parking a bike in the wrong areas can run as much as $50, she said.

"Bicycles should be secured to university bike racks only," Lester said.

That poses a problem for students if racks are full.

Sales said he has resorted to strapping his bike to trees and rails.

He wasn't the only student that has had to find an alternative parking space for his bike.

"I've chained my bike to trees, light poles and meter poles," Hall said.

He said he thought ticketing was unfair, and he would contest it if he ever got one.

OUDPS officers will also confiscate bikes that are blocking handicapped access ramps and stairwells because they are a fire hazard, Lester said.

When a bicycle is confiscated, the owner must come to OUDPS offices to claim it and pay a fine, Lester said.

He added students should register their bikes with OUDPS, so their bikes can be identified more easily if confiscated.

Randy Lacewell, landscaping manager, said he has been working closely with the OU Physical Plant to get the problem addressed and solved.

Lacewell said that it takes time to order bike racks and get the concrete poured.

The university is currently working on plans to install more bike racks around Carson Engineering Center, Adams Hall, the Physical Sciences Center and other areas, Lacewell said.

Physical Plant is also working to get temporary wire racks set up where needed until the permanent ribbon-style bike racks are installed.

The number of students riding bikes to campus will also decrease as the semester goes on, Lacewell said.

Physical Plant is in charge of ordering and paying for the renovations, and the landscape office assists in the planning.

Lacewell said he expects the new racks to be ready in late October.
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