QNSplanner

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/ny...l?ref=nyregion

excerpt:

"It may seem like a simple sentiment, but having a safe place to store a bike at work is an urban amenity that ranks somewhere with having unfettered roof access or a key to a community garden. While people are generally free to wheel their bikes in and out of residential buildings, commercial buildings often ban them."

nahh

thanks for the article. are the bike shelters basically covered bike racks?

QNSplanner

I've seen them in Hunters Point (residential community in western Queens) and Union Square (large urban plaza in Manhattan). They are identical to the new bus shelters that are being installed throughout the city, except that they have four U-shaped bike racks bolted to the concrete underneath. Sort of a drop-in-the-bucket situation with regard to increasing sheltered parking supply, but always good for the psychological boost!

btb103

I've had several bike stolen in Chicago (most recently, my Bianchi Volpe locked to a stop sign - my mistake, as always) but I get wiser with each fault. Luckily the rack problem isn't as severe as New York appears to be.

Came across this link in the SS/fixie forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE4fvwTBtno

Clever clever Japanese!

crhilton

Sounds like it's time to build some bike shelters a la Japan. Do they have parking garages to tear down and replace? I've never been to NYC.

envane

You don't have to tear anything down. Car parking garages can be retro-fit to bike parking.

oboeguy

@#$% like this makes my blood boil:

WTF does that mean?

mesasone

Allergies. Many Americans seem to be allergic to exercise.

At least, that's my attempt to by witty.

mlts22 

Hmmf... for the area of two normal car spaces, one can do almost two dozen bikes.

This benefits everyone:

Building owner doesn't have to have as much parking available for cars. Security can be focused in a smaller area, perhaps a cage that requires building card access. It also gives great "green" PR, especially if the building owner has showers nearby.

Employees don't have to worry about a secure place for their steeds, and can be more encouraged to bike to work.

Torrilin

Try more like 16 if you want to be able to extract your bike as easily as a car driver can get in and drive away. Bikes *are* very space efficient, but if you want to equal the convenience a car gives, they're not a whole lot more space efficient. Since a minivan and some SUVs take up to 7 passengers, it's not a huge win over a full vehicle. It's very much a win over the average case tho.

There's also the issue that some of the most efficient racks are not very secure. And most of the very secure racks just aren't very space efficient - 3" steel pipe just isn't.

mjw16

Great artical with some encouraging information (increasing number of cyclists, proposed trails, cooperation, etc), and neat idea with the automated bike parking tower as well, I could see that being a great asset in an urban area. I feel bad for the struggle that parking in NYC must be, I guess I take it for granted that I have access to a secure, underground parking deck with bike/locker room access, of course, we share a building with EPA, they should be offering that stuff.

Hot Potato

Check out the "Bike Tree." Not nearly as high tech cool with capacity as the Japanese, but they can be scattered about the city for convenience, and to promote using your bike to go everywhere.

https://www.biketree.com/BikeTreeWindowsMediaDSL.wmv

evblazer

In the buildings I worked in NYC there was no parking except for the limos of the top executives. If you drove you parked in a parking garage where the $$ seemed to depend on how far from broadway or some other attraction it was near. To allow a bicycle cage actually would increase security and cost and give a special benefit to people who rode their bikes that people who drove didn't have. Not saying there is anything wrong with that just pointing out in NYC in the building I worked in it wasn't a parking spot for a bike spot advantage for everyone situation.
NYC also has alot of strict fire safety rules. Nothing in stairways, all passageways must be x wide and not blocked at any times. We crammed our cubes so tight there wouldn't be any room for bikes unless you had an empty cube which was pretty rare.

Buildings friends lived in also had no parking you rented a spot in the garage a few blocks over to store your car. We did have one person who cycled to work but she was the EA of a top executive so letter her take her bike in wasn't a real problem, plus I think we owned that building. I parked my bike in a locker in connecticut and took the train down then walked the three blocks or so to between times square and bryant park. Everyone I knew either took the train, subway, bus or ferry. Pre-9/11 We even had a subway stop under some of our buildings so you didn't even have to go outside.