My reaction to the new bike rack in front of Thump Coffee.
1.) It's rather large and colorful.
2.) There are already bike racks every hundred feet or so on the downtown sidewalks. (They look like green n's and are permanently ensconced in the sidewalk). Or, in a pinch, you can use the trees. (Not enough! according to the comments on the Source. Strange....I kept track yesterday, which you got to figure is close to the height of biking season, and there was never more than half the racks filled.... Nor, is the rack in front of my store filled, oh, 95% of the time...).
3.) There is a good half the year in Bend when all but the truly crazy don't ride bikes. If nothing else, maybe they can move them out between mid-Oct. and mid-April.
4.) It cost over 3500.00? What? That's ridiculous.
5.) If they're sending a message, I have no problem; but I'm not sure we need the same type of bike rack on every block. Make sure there is a REAL need and that it isn't just.....
6.) P.C.
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7 comments:
Sorry Dunc...I can't agree with you. I think the new "corral" is great. I am a business owner on that block and as I watched them install the new rack, I turned around and counted 14 bikes (and 2 dogs) tied up to the existing racks, trees, etc. between Bond and the alley (plus 4 in the alley). Some had moved (as bikes do...dang wheels) and stuck out into the sidewalk - partially blocking it. This may be because of the concentration of business there (Thump, Lone Pine, The Wine Shop, Mate Bar)...but the available bike spots are often exceeded. Few if any of these folks are coming to my business to shop, but everyone that bikes (rather than drives)to the neighboring businesses means they are not taking parking spaces.
There may be some other locations that something similar is appropriate (again where there are concentrations of bikes)- but I agree that it is not needed on every block. Overall - the new one is a nice addition to the neighborhood! (PS As to the cost....you haven't had to get estimates for ironwork lately have you - especially the powdercoated (nearly) indestructible stuff that goes onto streets and sidewalks!)
Fair enough.
I do think Thump has a real need for a larger rack, maybe. It seems to be sporadic. I notice that almost no bike racks are used on the north side of Minnesota, between Wall and Bond; rarely used on the eastern half of the south side of Minnesota; rarely used on the west side side of Bond between Oregon and Minnesota, but used on the other -- western half of Minnesota.
But like I said, never more than a few hundred feet. We're asking people to park in the parking garage but we can't ask bikers to park less than that distance away?
Sure they'd like to keep an eye on their bikes -- but, isn't that what the bike racks and locks are for? Seems contradictory.
I'm trying to have a measured response, here.
I'm also trying to avoid creeping mall-ism -- closing off the streets to traffic one space, one sidewalk at a time. Much like I oppose creeping event-ism, extending and adding events. (If one event is good, then ten events is better! Well ---- no.)
Perhaps the theory is "build them, and they will come". Kind of like the parking garage. Build it, and it fills with parked cars. Didn't help with the nightmare parking on the street, and now the traffic is huge, but there is a parking garage in Bend.
If you want the average person to ride downtown, though, you need to make it easy for them. The town should build bike rental kiosks at key parking locations, for instance. Allow the average person to ride around on a rental, then get back in the car and drive home.
It might actually build some respect for bikes if the average driver actually got on a bike and rode on streets with moving cars.
I am excited about the bike corral however find it very interesting that several business have requested bike racks to be installed from both commute options and the city of bend only to be denied. Makes me wonder why Thump was the chosen one? This occurred once the city began ticketing the parking lot at drake and enforcing the 2hr limit. I know a lot of downtown employees bike to work and extra bike parking will be appreciated!
"I kept track yesterday, which you got to figure is close to the height of biking season, and there was never more than half the racks filled.... Nor, is the rack in front of my store filled, oh, 95% of the time..."
As I said in my Wandering Eye post, I don't believe relieving "bike congestion" is really what this is all about. It's about making a symbolic point.
"If nothing else, maybe they can move them out between mid-Oct. and mid-April."
Somebody said the "bike corral" is removable and will be taken out during winter.
This is embarrassing -- I find myself on the same side of this issue as The Bulletin editorial page.
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