This is such a good article I had to post it - Thanks Robert and our supplier at The Park Catalog
-Tom
Don’t Make Me Lock My Bike to a Tree! More Commercial Bike Racks Needed
Adding more commercial bike racks will alleviate situations like this
It’s getting ugly out there. There are just not enough Commercial Bike Racks on streets today to accommodate the growing surge in bicyclists. So defenseless trees are picking up the slack.
Be a hero. Give a bicyclist a place to park. Give a tree a break.
According to Statista, the number of Americans who biked in the past 12 months grew from 47 million in Spring 2008 to a whopping 66.7 million in the Spring of last year.
That’s nearly 20 million more people who now ride a bicycle.
This type of behavior should be rewarded.
After all, bicyclists are doing their part. They are making your community a better place to live.
More of them are riding their bicycles downtown to work than driving. That frees up city streets. Cuts down on congestion. Makes it easier for others to park.
More people are also riding their bicycles to run to town or do errands.
All of this bicycle riding has a major impact on air quality, just like trees. Every time someone pedals a bicycle anywhere, they are not putting more exhaust into the atmosphere.
Tree bike
And more people are finding bicycling is a great way to stay healthy. That means a physically fitter population spending less time in hospitals.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made it her mission to reduce obesity in the US. She points out that riding a bike does that. Kids love it (especially when they aren’t old enough to drive a car).
Baby boomers are jumping on the bicycle wagon as well. There’s a popular saying now: “bicycling is the new golf.”
Nearly 67 million people are doing all these great things by hopping on their bicycles.
So how are they being rewarded by the community?
Because there are so many bicycles and there’s such a shortage of secure commercial bike racks, bicyclists have almost been forced to act like outlaws.
They have to lock their bikes to trees. Or to sign posts. Or to railings. Whatever they can find.
This is not good. For one, a tree is not exactly as secure as a 1.9-inch diameter commercial bike rack manufactured with steel piping that is embedded into the concrete with an in-ground mount. Locks and chains can damage tree bark. Bikes also parked next to trees can impede pedestrian traffic.
Here’s another other issue that is out there. Stealing bicycles has become popular with thieves – low level street criminals. The FBI estimates $1 million bicycles are stolen every year. (Here’s an account of one thief who just grabbed a bicycle every time he needed a few bucks.)
According to crooks, it’s relatively easy to rip off a bike. Bust a cheap lock. Cut a tree. So many targets are parked incorrectly or locked to the wrong thing. City streets that don’t offer bicycle parking force bicyclists to park their bikes in low-visibility areas near alleys or in the back of buildings. Guess who knows exactly where these spots are located – bike thieves with cutting tools.
Then you have the issue of street signs. A bicyclist wants to park his or her bike legitimately to a commercial bike rack, but there aren’t any around.
So they lock it to a street sign. There are plenty of those. Guess what? In some cities, that’s illegal. The bike lock will be cut and the bike confiscated. Not only that, in some towns there is a fine as high as $1,000 if you lock your bike to a sign.
Most bikes don’t even cost that much.
No parking sign becomes a bicycle parking rack
Then there’s the issue of private property. Business owners might get upset to see a bike locked to a tree or railing on their property (if they provided commercial bike racks, they wouldn’t have to worry about that.).
They will cut the locks (they have that right). They will take the bikes (they don’t have that right).
Even if they don’t take the bike away, an unlocked bicycle standing on a busy street won’t last for long (see note on thieves above).
How to fight back with more commercial bike racks
Municipalities know bicycle parking is a major issue. Many are doing their part to add more bicycle parking racks.
The smart ones also realize it’s in their best interest to provide more outdoor bike racks. For example, how great would it be on if 50% of the population rode their bicycle to work instead of driving there? They do this in places like Copenhagen now.
That means you don’t need to spend more money on expanding roads. You don’t have motorists complaining about traffic jams. You have people spending money in local shops because the parking is not so bad.
The air will be cleaner. The citizens will be healthier. The public will be happier. Trees will breathe a sigh of relief.
Smart businesses also realize how they can easily attract more customers just by adding commercial bike racks in front of their stores or restaurants. Merchant associations would also be smart to make sure there are plenty of commercial bike racks available in their shopping districts.
Studies in Oregon showed that businesses that provide commercial bike racks benefited greatly from the bicycling consumer. Researchers found that the bicycling consumer visited a business more often than a motorist. While they spent less per visit, cumulatively over the course of a month they spent more. Wouldn’t it be cool to add more parking in front of your business? Consider bicycle parking. After all, a vehicle is a vehicle.
NYC added a bike path in front of a bunch of stores in Manhattan and the stores reported an increase in overall sales. A bicycling consumer is more likely to notice your business than a motorist who has to worry about the cars in front and behind and finding a place to park that giant chunk of metal.
In other words, if you want a magnet to easily draw more customers to your business, add a U-shaped bike rack (it actually resembles a magnet). It works.
Railing becomes bicycle parking rack
City officials need to be sure that for every gargantuan car parking garage out there, they should add a number of commercial bike racks. That’s a no-brainer.
Local bike clubs and local bike shops would be smart to band together to get their towns to add more bicycle parking racks. While every municipality has budget constraints, it’s still the squeaky wheel that gets the attention. Organize a mass gathering at any town council meeting and officials will listen.
Bicyclists don’t have to be antagonistic. Theirs is a noble and just cause. Just present the facts. Show pictures of areas where bicycle parking is sorely needed.
Compared to other municipal expenditures, buying a handful of commercial bike racks is minuscule. But it could have a big impact on downtown parking and the revenue of local businesses (and sales taxes).
For events, talk to parks and recreation department officials. Towns love to hold festivals and events. It brings recognition to the town. Creates a sense of pride. And generates quite a bit of revenue. But everybody hates the traffic.
Local streets fill beyond capacity when there is an event. There’s a hundred times more vehicles on the road than normal. It’s always a nightmare.
Think how great it would be if event organizers offered bicycle valet parking? Say they cut traffic by just 20%. That’s significant. More people would enjoy the event and more people would find it easier to get home. This whole concept of temporary bicycle valet parking is catching on big with many towns.
The numbers speak for themselves. There are 20 million more people riding bicycles than just eight years ago. There are more bike share programs coming to towns. Bicycle tourism is increasing in popularity.
The right path is clear. Bicyclists are doing their part. Adding more commercial bike racks is certainly more desirable than damaging trees. Build it and they will park their bike next to it.
(If you like this blog please pass it on by hitting the share buttons below. You might just save a tree).
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