What do I need to know before biking to campus?

Dear Benny,
Now that spring is almost here, I’m thinking about biking to work. Are there any arrangements I need to make for parking? Where can I park my bike?
—Going Green by Biking

Dear Going Green,
Penn offers free bicycle parking all around campus.

Covered bike parking is available in three Penn parking garages—the Walnut 40 garage on the northwest corner of 40th and Walnut streets above the Fresh Grocer store, the Chestnut 34 garage on the northeast corner of 34th and Chestnut streets, and the Penn Museum garage at the corner of South Street and Convention Avenue.

Facilities and Real Estate Services offers a map with bike locations at www.facilities.upenn.edu/map.php. Choose “bike racks” at the top of the page.

There are outdoor bike racks spread across campus, near dorms, classroom buildings, libraries, and green spaces. The racks can accommodate nearly 2,500 bikes, but there are also many other places around campus where bicyclists manage to find parking.

In addition, some people have arrangements to park their bikes inside their offices.

If you need to rent a bike on campus for the day, PennCycle, the student-run bike-sharing organization, offers bikes, helmets, and bike locks for a small fee. Modeled after car-share programs, members can rent a bike when they need one from campus pick-up and drop-off locations. For more information, go to: www.app.penncycle.org/.

Anyone who registers his or her bike with the Division of Public Safety can receive reduced parking rates in a Penn garage or parking lot through the Occasional Parking Program. For more information, go to the Penn Parking Services website: http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/parking/.

And finally, for tips on safely navigating city streets, visit the Penn Public Safety website: www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/bicycle-safety-information/.