Petition for a space for a student-run bicycle workspace in NUI Galway

Since September 2010 a number of cyclists and members of the NUI Galway Ecosoc have been discussing providing a student-run bicycle workshop on campus.

If provided with a space, we have a range of experienced bicycle mechanics who would have regular free bicycle workshops to provide students and staff with bike maintenance education and provide a workspace with all of the necessary tools and facilities to custom build bikes with supervision and advice working on a volunteer basis. From the outset there was string support from students and staff to the idea.

The hope was that the university would be as supportive for an initiative which would;

1. reduce the environmental impact of NUIG,

2. reduce traffic and parking issues within the uni.,

3. be an educational and social amenity for all of the students and staff of NUIG..

4. alleviate some of the costs of repair and maintenance for cyclists,

these are some of a long list of benefits of similar projects.

We have only asked the college for a space to for the workshop and in an email (dated 17-nov-10) stated "We would not need anything of particular beauty it would be a workshop, the main requirements would be an open space with a locker to secure tools in (i.e. http://www.bikekitchen.org/photos/650Florida1.jpg). The tools, workbenches and bike stands we have access to ourselves."

The response to our requests were met with a simple "Unfortunately, we cannot dedicate a space at this time to Ecosoc for this purpose." Later we were told that the 'Space Managment Group' were of the opinion that there would not be sufficient demand to allocate a space.

This petition is on behalf of cyclists in NUIG to say that say you need not only look at the quantity of bikes in the uni. each week to recognise that we would be used by and of benefit to hundreds if not thousands of people!

(Please input your student/staff number after your name.)