Stony Brook Shifts into Silver

Sustainability coordinator Erin Kluge and sustainability manager Greg Monaco at the Nobel Hall Wolf Ride Bike Share docking stations. Photo by John Griffin.

University earns silver-level Bicycle Friendly University award

The League of American Bicyclists, the advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored Stony Brook University with a silver-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of the institution's achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.

In 2014 and 2018, Stony Brook was awarded the bronze-level designation, making this SBU's first rise in status since the institution's participation with the award program. The Bicycle Friendly University program includes 210 colleges and universities in 44 states and the District of Columbia, and is part of the League's Bicycle Friendly America program, which aims to make bicycling safe, comfortable and more accessible for all.

"Each year Stony Brook University continues to take steps towards improving sustainability including our campus accessibility by bike, and we are honored to receive this designation," noted Tom Lanzilotta, assistant director of energy management & sustainability at Stony Brook. Mobility and Parking Services (MAPS), in partnership with the Office of Sustainability, is responsible for maintaining and tracking usage of the University's Wolf Ride Bike Share Program, one of the main biking initiatives on campus. Since its inception in 2013, the program has continued to increase ridership each year, notably achieving 72,187 rides during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Wolf Ride includes fourteen (14) solar powered bike stations and ninety-eight (98) bicycles to encourage a safe and vibrant biking community on campus. This designation also falls on the heels of the University's recent announcements as the winner of Car Free Day Long Islandas well as being named a recipient of a federal grant under the Safe Streets for All program.

Kendra Violet, executive director for MAPS, is thrilled with the rise in status, noting her team's hard work and dedication to Stony Brook University's sustainability initiatives. "This is why our tagline is 'Our Infrastructure for Community Connections.' Since MAPS' creation in 2022, our team has worked diligently to onboard varying modes of transportation, including micro-mobility. We want our community to have modern, sustainable options that make their lives easier and Wolf Ride is a big part of this. I'm extremely proud of our team's efforts. We're all in on enabling Seawolves to 'ride green,' and building a future-focused and flexible mobility plan."

"When universities make biking easier, safer, and more accessible, they're not just helping students get from point A to point B - they're leading the charge in creating a more sustainable future," said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. "By prioritizing better biking, Bicycle Friendly Universities like Stony Brook University are empowering students and staff to make choices that benefit their health, their environment, and their communities."

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