An emphasis on fitness and staying healthy is part of life on a military base. The U.S. Department of Defense published a strategic plan that aims to create a military culture that fully integrates health and fitness into everyday life. At the same time military bases are also putting more focus on energy savings and sustainability.
Bike lockers from CycleSafe fit perfectly into military aims and goals. Lockers keep members of the military fit, earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points by promoting alternative transportation on the bases. The lockers also are wellness amenity for military/federal personnel while enforcing air quality and environmental policies. Peterson Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, Colo. and CID Corry Station Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla. are two of many military locations with CycleSafe lockers installed in locations in United States to international bases such as Okinawa, Japan.
Peterson Air Force Base installed CycleSafe bike lockers in 2005 to promote alternative transportation and to move towards a non-toxic environment at the base. Vehicles are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions as reported by the Energy Information Administration and is a growing, global concern. Secure bike parking can reduce single occupancy motor vehicle trips by encouraging cycling as a primary means of travel that also contributes to a healthy lifestyle. The bike lockers also add to the “warfit” programs that Peterson Air Force Base promotes to boost health and wellness. Federal purchasing agents looked at several brands and styles of lockers, all of them less expensive than CycleSafe.
“Our problem was providing durable bicycle storage that meets security standards and satisfies force protection issues,” said Randy Hawke, Facilities Excellence Architect at Peterson Air Force Base. “We chose the CycleSafe product because there are fewer metal parts to rust, and it is made of durable plastic materials that eliminate replacement costs. The View-Thru design allows security forces to make sure there are no suspicious items inside the lockers,” he said.
Military personnel love the lockers, Hawke reports. “We’ve probably had more positive feedback from the lockers than any other improvement we have done.” All branches of the service and civilian employees are allowed to reserve the lockers at no charge. Users of CycleSafe lockers are all ages of men and women from enlisted to retirees.
Hawke said Peterson Air Force Base encourages cycling for increased energy savings and to promote health and mental fitness. Base officials have been so impressed with the CycleSafe bike lockers that they plan to purchase more in the future.
At CID Corry Station/NAS the bike lockers were purchased to garner LEED points with the construction of the bachelor housing units. There is a definite need for lockers as a majority of those living in the housing units have bikes on the base. The lockers were purchased to improve the base’s quality of life. Military personnel exercise daily, walking and bicycling are common activities.
Military officials reported that no other brands of bike lockers were considered and the CycleSafe lockers were chosen for their durability and lack of needed maintenance and will not likely have to be replaced. CID Corry Station/NAS personnel commended the lockers for “unmatched security.”
Project in Brief
Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.
CID Corry Station/Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.
