So the building management where I work thinks we have plenty of bike parking space because they count each inverted U as giving 2 parking spots, one on each side of the inverted U. By U style I mean these:

http://www.bicycleracksource.com/items.asp?Cc=HBR-SBR

I have told management that it is very difficult to put two bikes on both sides of the inverted U. For example, I've seen parts of bikes flop over and smack others in weird spots. If you put the front part of the bike in the same direction, the handlebars get in the way of each other. If you have a U-style lock, there just might not be enough space to lock it with another bike on the other side. Ideally, the inverted U is much easier with just one bike attached to it.

Is there something I am missing on the inverted U parking racks that would help it park 2 bikes? I had a few thoughts:

Maybe if they were spaced far enough apart, you could park one bike each perpindicular to the U rather than parallel to the loop as most people do? However if the next U is too close then the tires on your bike would overlap with the tires on the next bike.

Perhaps if you faced the bikes in opposite directions (that is one bike facing forward, bike on other side facing rearward) of the inverted U, but parallel to the U, it would be easier to fit two bikes to a single inverted U?

Or are you only supposed to use one of those longer coil locks?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Especially any photos of how to do this would be appreciated.