Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Strikes me that the municipality would be in a better position to place things like this on the sidewalk and/or street in some sort of rational manner. Having small bike racks every 6-8 feet makes little sense to me, and actually would obstruct a portion of the sidewalk systematically to no particular good end. Divorcing this function from the individual store owners allows a more sensible approach as it lifts the necessity of putting a rack somewhere just because it happens to be in front of a storefront.
not sure what you’re saying here - agreed that the city can and should do them and organize them, but the best and most common practice is indeed to put them in the street furnishing zone, intermittently with trees, meters, benches, etc. they’re dirt cheap, highly visible from both the street and the interior of businesses, small, flexible, secure, etc. they don’t obstruct the sidewalk because they’re parallel to the circulation zone, in the street furnishing zone.
racks which park multiple bikes wheel in take much more space and are harder to get a secure lock to the frame.
