More and more bikes are popping up along the roads--we all know why. And it's a beautiful thing.
Well, we have jumped on the bandwagon, implementing a bike-only rule for ourselves in the neighborhood (a decision we should have made years ago, we know), only hopping in the car for big trips. We're lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where the movie theater, coffee shop, grocery store, bank, clothing store, and bike shop lie within an easily-rideable radius.
But where are all the bike racks?
We thought our city was especially bike-friendly until we started needing a place to park it.
Maybe it's because we live just outside of the epicenter and they haven't gotten around to outfitting the entire city to be completely bike-ready, but we don't think that's a good excuse.
At the movies on Friday night, we wrapped our chains around benches and then uncomfortably struggled with the locks (in the dark) while people sat inches away, ogling our clumsy attempts with the combination.
Neither of our favorite coffee shops in the area are helping, either: there's nowhere to stash our ride once we arrive.
Then we biked to the open-air mall just a couple of miles up the road. No bike rack in sight, we began to lock our bikes to an out-of-the-way handrail. Two tough security guards strolled up and informed us that we weren't allowed to do that--but the closest bike rack was a quarter-mile away. So we just chained our bikes together and hoped for the best.
The lack of racks is not going to keep us from biking everywhere around here, but we are going to look into why the city hasn't done more for those of us trying to save a little planet...not to mention gas.
Are any of you readers experiencing bike woes in your cities? What about some feel-good success stories?
Photo: Amber Byfield
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
We keep getting more and more in Chicago - keep 'em coming! People can request bike racks on the City of Chicago Bike Program website. http://www.chicagobikes.org/bikeparking/
view bumblebeechicago's profile
I totally agree. It really seems like a cheap resolution but I am always wondering why I have to chain my bike to trees and different metals sticking out in strange places.
view roundabout12's profile
Portland is about as bike-friendly as you can get in the US, and yes, still not enough bike racks. While the city putting up more would be great, I think approaching businesses is also a good plan, the mall certainly has the space and opportunity to have a few on their land, right??
view pdx-R's profile
I agree with pdx-R, a polite inquiry into who you would talk to about getting some installed is warranted. Businesses provide parking and they should have some for bikes, too. If they balk (and they probably will), just continue chaining your bike to random objects until people start to complain about it.
I wonder how many more little problems like these we will encounter as we (and cities) try to green up our act over non-green infrastructure.
view whytephoenix's profile
Go visit Davis, CA. It is probably THE most bike friendly city in the US. The campus doesn't allow cars and it's too damn big to run from one class to another so everyone bikes. I could beat a driver from campus to my off-campus dorm easily. There were even signals that had specific bike lights! I miss that city.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
In Philly, all we have to do is contact the Streets Department at http://bcgp.blogspot.com/2007/09/getting-bike-racks-in-front-of-your.html
See if your city's street's department has a similar hotline and explain your plight. Also, contact your local bike coalition to get a group behind the request.
good luck!
view jbru's profile
I live in Boulder, CO and there are a an adequate amount of bike racks. The ease of using a bike in the area is one of the reasons we chose this community.
view kmarie's profile