parking only for bikes
 

Hi everyone, I need your opinion about an indoor parking I am strongly thinking of creating. It will be a 100-bikes hanging only bikes parking in the center of the city I live. It will have a double-door card ic security system to get in and out (connected personaly with everyone's id card). There will be also 3 24h-security cameras, plus a person 9.00-15.00 every day.

The question is... will you use this parking for 15$/month or 1$/24h?

Thank you in advance and any other suggestions are very welcome.

Eh, one of the perks of riding a bike into center city is that I don't have to pay for parking. I personally wouldn't use it.

Will there also be a place to clean up and fill a water bottle? If so yes. If not, maybe.

Have a look at the one in Washington DC at Union Station and Toronto also at Union Station and look at their pricing strategy and services offered.

Would I pay for secure parking for my bike if I needed it, without a doubt.

BTW, what city are you talking about?

Thank you for your answers so far. Services will include 20 lockers, repair tools, plumping station and water refill...

The idea of the location (center of town) is to get there by car/train/bus... grab your bike-ride around and leave it there again returning home!

Can't see it working in a place like Philadelphia because people generally don't come into the center of the city by car/train/bus to then ride bikes. They ride their bikes into the center of the city to work. etc. Also, we have a bike share program so if someone comes into the center of town and wants to ride somewhere, they can use that service.

Hmm, that's not how they work here in the UK. We call them "cycle hubs", normaly folks on the way to work ride to the city center & leave their bike in the hub to catch a train/bus. The only reason they get planning permission ( here at least ) is that they are seen as "green" & reduce the ammount of cars on the road.
Asking people to drive to your parking center, seems to add to the problem. The price range seems about the same though, but only some of the ones here have facilities.

Well, I was thinking of families and kids riding at their spare time or people who ride to their work - leaving their bike all day or they need a bike for work several times in a day...

I live in Boston where we have a bike sharing program, but that ends about a block from my office. If something like this was in the building I work in (not that walking a block is an issue, but that I can ride my bike is preferred), I'd gladly pay $25-$35 a month to ride my bike in and have it securely locked up.

My $0.02: Interesting idea ubisap.One of my disadvantages (is it just me?) is that my commutes in town of more than three miles or so cause me to, um... sweat. Even at a moderate/conservative pace, once I lock up and get inside I start dripping.* Ug! Wouldn't it be nice to have shower facilities (my workplace unfortunately does not).

I know, I'm asking too much, aren't I?

* no, I don't live in a necessarily hot or humid area (high desert/Rockies). I tend to be relatively fit, is that my problem? My am pace is truly conservative and still I sweat. Anyone else worry about this?

I like the idea. I'd use it if I worked nearby, assuming that it's comparable to a typical mid sized American city.

I'd probably use something like that if the convenience factors were right, but I have a question about your economics.

You plan capacity for 100 bikes at $15/mo. That's a gross of $1,500/mo. Then you say it'll be manned 6hr/day.

So how does that work? slave labor, free space and utilities? Or would there be some sort of grant or subsidy involved?

Thank you for your concern about my economics...The reasons I opened this thread are to find out a)if this project sounds interesting to people who use and love bikes and b)if the fees I am thinking are reasonable, low or high enough for most of you. Actually I will be the only one who will "work"(kind of work like doing almost nothing!) and I might find a place for 150 bikes or raise the basic fee to 20$/month. And yes I am trying to get a subsidy for starting the business...

Thank you for your suggestion and your 2 cents. I am sorry to hear about your "problem" but I know at least 4 people who have the same concerns with you!

I live outside of US, in a small city of about 25000 people in a Greek island. Many people here love riding, but the hilly landscape put off the idea of using their bikes, so I was thinking of creating a bike base in the flat center of town, it would encouraged them to use the bikes more often.

Thank you all for your opinions/suggestions so far ;)

I don't think you'll get many car drivers - where would they park the car? Drive to the city, pay to park or pay by the month to park, then walk to my bike garage and bike from there? I'd put the bike on the back of the car first. Ditto for bus riders - there's no extra charge for a bike in my city. If I rode a bus, and needed a bike once or twice a week, I'd put it on the front of the bus and bring it with me.

I do think I'd use the service if I commuted by bike, and wanted a secure indoor spot to park my bike. PS - Sell coffee! Biking, Commuting, and Coffee are a natural combination.

Thank you for affirming that as a graduate student, I'm essentially slave labor.

Lane College downtown Put in a vertical Bike parking offering each bike a Lockable space ,

They used the steel piping and the Mesh for chain link fencing and made the footprint into a series of Triangles

with each bike having its own door to lock . accessed from both sides .. you use your lock.


a \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ row ... though this was outside under a roof overhang

so public enough to not have people bringing tools to cut the chain link fencing mesh.

& on a regularly police patrolled street.


Seen *where Japan automated and put bike parking underground
but the access to deposit and retrieve your bike was at street level.

* online so its searchable.

I haven't. As free men we tend to be a bit loose with the term slave labor. But anyone in a position to appreciate the difference will tell you that there's a world of difference between being paid slave wages and slave labor.

Oh I was just kidding around. I'm getting paid to go to school. It doesn't get much better, regardless of how much (or little) the pay is.

Don't sweat it. I don't take anything here on BF very seriously.

Put it near public transportation or large places of employment and you might get some interest.

Find out where people are currently parking their bicycles near public transportation hubs and places of employment. Perhaps what is available isn't particularly ideal and perhaps you could offer something better.

...good advice Machka! thx

There's .. Valet Bike parking , as a service , brought in to public events like out door concerts and fairs ..

perimeter fencing and bike racks hauled in and taken away, and people to give out and take in the tickets

and match numbers tagged on the bikes they retrieve .

Lower tech, more people . tiny single use, ticket fee + a tip?

I'd hope there'd be background checks on those who sign up.. ie. what stops a user (after 3pm) from cleaning out the place?