Inadequate/no bike parking@big public bldgs.

[Irulan]

Point of topic, is a more bike friendly place that accommodates cycling as a viable transportation, means designing public places that allow some customers (we are talking about customers) to park their bike.

Duh, as we say!! If I don't see a reasonable place to lock up my bike, I walk it right into the store and ask if there is a place for it, or if I can put it by the customer service counter. My local Ace and Joanns are quite used to be bringing my bikes inside.

[TrekTheKaty]

Do you have a local or state bicycle organization? Here's what is going on here:

"[O]nce you get to where you're pedaling, there's hardly a rack for parking.

The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation is about to chip away at the problem. The organization just received a $50,000 federal grant to install between 200 and 300 more bicycle racks in St. Louis and St. Louis County in the next year."

However, it hasn't reached my town yet. Brand new rec-plex has one bike rack and it is one of the "designer" racks that, technically isn't safe (we live a mile away).

[Reesha]

I was just thinking "I hope they install bike parking at Culinaria downtown!"

Man, I'll be able to ride my bike to the grocery store! Woo! But only if there's a place I can lock my bike.

[Tuckervill]

It's really not any more dangerous to deal with your groceries and your bike in the parking lot than it is for me to deal with my groceries and my infant and toddler getting into the car in the parking lot (I don't have little kids anymore, just an example). Everyone's in danger in the parking lot, or everyone is not, so let's put that aside.

I already said that the cart corral is not an appropriate place to lock a bike. I don't even like to park my car near it.

Covered bike parking? Again, in my car, I don't have the luxury of covered parking (although I did see a grocery in Scottsdale that had that). What about cyclists makes them more important as a customer that they would rate covered parking? Or to park near the door?

Putting a bike rack on the massive sidewalk in front of the Wal-Mart Supercenter wouldn't be much of an inconvenience for Wal-Mart. But it might as well be in the parking lot, next to the reserved spots, for all the convenience it would be for the cyclists.

Karen

[shootingstar]

Covered bike parking? Again, in my car, I don't have the luxury of covered parking (although I did see a grocery in Scottsdale that had that). What about cyclists makes them more important as a customer that they would rate covered parking? Or to park near the door?

Putting a bike rack on the massive sidewalk in front of the Wal-Mart Supercenter wouldn't be much of an inconvenience for Wal-Mart. But it might as well be in the parking lot, next to the reserved spots, for all the convenience it would be for the cyclists.

Karen

Earlier in the thread, I merely said near the door/entrance of the store in a safe location.

As for covered bike parking, would be nice but of course it's not realistic for every type of building design space area. Cyclists rating as more important as customer? .....already alot of real estate is devoted for car parking at shopping malls, big grocery stores. Some rethinking for shopping mall/big store owners: 1 car parking space can hold several bikes. Hence, it's a small investment to draw in more customers to place racks not far from an entrance.

Space and location for some bike parking spaces in a logical, safe place is not asking much in the bigger scheme of a shopping mall development. At this point in North American cycling culture history, it's not alot of bike racks that are installed. We are very behind compared to some European countries with bike parking "buildings" and other configurations.

Last night I went to a public panel discussion on bike parking. That's where my head wheels got inspired for this thread.
http://justagwailo.com/2009/06/26/park-this

[MartianDestiny]

Covered bike parking? Again, in my car, I don't have the luxury of covered parking (although I did see a grocery in Scottsdale that had that). What about cyclists makes them more important as a customer that they would rate covered parking? Or to park near the door?

I don't give a crap where the bike parking is, so long as it is there, secure rather than decorative, and reasonably safe to access. (As you've noted having to lock a bike to a cart corral is not safe for bike or cyclist. Having a bike rack in a parking space or near the other parking could be depending on how it is laid out).

Realistically if a place is going to put in bike racks at all it's going to be up front. Either in the dead space between parking and the lane in front of the store, or on the sidewalk somewhere. I doubt this is solely (or even primarily) out of consideration for the good little tree hugging bicyclists and more out of concern for their pocketbooks and the convenience of the majority of their customers. Put the bike rack in a parking spot and that's one more spot a car can't get in, a potential inconvenience for the majority of customers. Also, most projects with any foresight set the racks in the concrete; this, I imagine, is both simpler and cheaper than trying to set them in asphalt. Even if they don't have foresight, it's probably cheaper and easier to set bolts in existing concrete than in existing asphalt. Concrete exists up towards the front of the store and not really elsewhere for most major grocery stores and "megamarts" thus bike racks end up towards the front.

I've been to a few places where bike parking was off to one side or around the corner of the store/mall. I have no issues with that so long as it's marked or visible (or I won't find it and be annoyed that I can't lock my bike to anything!) and reasonably safe and secure (not in some dark back alley where I'm asking to get mugged, etc).

If a store/mall/shopping area doesn't want to provide me with a decent bike rack that is entirely their prerogative. It's also entirely my prerogative to be annoyed and not give them my business. Luckily it's rare that this is an issue in my area.

[shootingstar]

I don't give a crap where the bike parking is, so long as it is there, secure rather than decorative, and reasonably safe to access.

You mean cutie bike posts like these?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouv...7608992816756/

[TxDoc]

You mean cutie bike posts like these?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouv...7608992816756/

Now, if they do this around here - I may even decide to leave the car and start commuting!

[MartianDestiny]

You mean cutie bike posts like these?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouv...7608992816756/

The lightbulb doesn't bother me too much. I can certainly secure a bike with that.

Some are just dumb and make it nearly impossible to get frame, rear wheel, and bike rack all in a U-lock.

[shootingstar]

Newly installed bike racks near one of our local light rapid train stations (Sperliing station, on Millenium Line) and major bike route that was recently extended.

Others felt it was a practical design. The diameter of the round wheel design plus supporting bike post allows proper locking.

[shootingstar]

Regardless of whatever exists in your community, it is still useful to make request (in writing preferably) to the building owner/developer as a local citizen. They often are also clueless if they are car-focused themselves.