Ridiculous Bike Parking, the blog

May 24, 2011 11:24 AM

Ridiculous Bike Parking, the blog
Examples of lousy options for bike parking, for right now pictures that I've taken myself while out running errands and whatnot. (I'd love to get more photos contributed!)

Question: should I find a way to put these locations on a map?

Role: creator

posted by epersonae (7 comments total)

Yes, put them on a map. It's relatively easy with google maps (make it open access so anyone can edit). This is something that you can then take to your city bike/ped coordinator, or whoever the appropriate person/people is/are in your locale, and work with that person to create a bike parking ordinance. It looks like your current ordinance will make it a wee bit difficult to expand into on-street parking, since there is a minimum 5' between bike and car parking.

Also, have you shared this with your local bike organizations? Some of those folks may be interested, if they haven't seen it already.

"Two points of contact" is something that I hear a lot as far as what's good in an actual rack. Racks typically also need to be spaced better, so that there is room for extracycles, bakfiets, recumbents with panniers, tandems, etc.
posted by aniola at 1:09 PM on May 29, 2011

Correction: a better bike parking ordinance, if the one you have isn't working. It may just take a while to kick in, though. Places have to build or renovate before they have to follow the ordinance. Anyway, read it carefully and see how you feel about it?
posted by aniola at 1:12 PM on May 29, 2011

I'm actually co-chair of the city's Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee and mentioned this at our last meeting. :) And then I got a comment on the site from a local cycling activist about participating in a formal survey of bike parking at recently constructed buildings!

Although I probably should also see if there's somebody I can talk to in the neighboring town, which is where I work and where most of the photos so far were taken.

Thanks!
posted by epersonae at 8:20 AM on May 31, 2011

I'd definitely put them on a map.
The site is a great idea, I've been thinking of doing something similar for my area because I have some terrible bike parking options.
posted by bryghtrose at 12:23 PM on May 31, 2011

Bryghtrose, I think epersonae has the right idea - make sure you have a positive outcome in mind?
posted by aniola at 12:54 PM on May 31, 2011

Are.. those.. all of the same person's bike, or does everyone in your city have that kind of bike?
posted by herbplarfegan at 12:14 PM on June 3, 2011

So far it's just my bike(s), unless there's more than one bike in the photo.
posted by epersonae at 12:03 PM on June 6, 2011