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The League of Bicycling Voters is beginning a new initiative to improve bike parking around the city of Austin. My name is Ignacio Prado, and I'll be the lead volunteer organizing and coordinating the initiative for the LOBV. As part of our planning process, we're soliciting input from the local cycling community, including this forum, concerning what general problems cyclists in Austin have with existing bike parking, as well as what kind of new facilities you would like to see going forward. (You can reply here or send emails to bikeparking \at\ lobv.org).
1) Are there specific areas of the city or kinds of facilities that you generally find to be inadequately equipped with the necessary parking? (This could be because sufficient parking either doesn't exist, is inconveniently located, or the design/installation/maintenance of the racking equipment is substandard).
2) Are there common issues or concerns you've encountered when requesting of the managers of commercial, residential, or government properties that they provide adequate bike parking?
3) Are there places or types of facilities that you feel would make for good targets for installing long-term, bike-parking equipment such as bike lockers?
4) Are there any other concerns or issues you'd like to raise about bike parking in Austin?
With respect to (2), there are ordinances in place--currently in the process of being revised and strengthened--that require that bike parking be made available. Part of what Tom Wald and I see the LOBV's bike parking initiative as doing is providing an easy and standardized set of guidelines that can be used to inform property owners or managers of what compliance with these ordinances requires and what optimal bike parking for different kinds of buildings, events, or facilities would look like.
Thanks for any input you can provide.
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I'd love to see written in city ordinances in the business parking requirement the inclusion of bike parking.
It could be either as a number of required bike parking or to have the chance to count bike parking as parking in general for business permits.
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Alonso...this is already in the Code: http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/ … in_tx$anc=
See Appendix A, Part 2 of the City Code. It describes the required amount of bicycle parking for specific uses.
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Nadia, I couldn't find the Appendix A in the link.
Will you point me to it, please?
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Got it!
Yes the schedules describing the bicycle parking requirements show that they are little. The most bike friendly one requires parking for 5 bicycles or 5% of the parking for motorized vehicles, whichever is greater.
For motorized vehicles the requirement for parking space could be as generous as one parking space for every 275 square feet as is for a liquor store(!) or one parking space for 75 sq. ft. for a restaurante.
To me, the goal should be that the requirement favors bike commuting. It should specify a minimal percentage of bike parking space but it should allow to sacrifice car parking if it provides for bike parking in lieu of that car parking.
That is, a restaurant should be allowed to open even if it provides parking for an x number of vehicles, even if only one of those vehicles is a car (don't forget that it is easy to transport more than one person in a car, in bicycles instead, other than in tandems it is more problematic)
Dreaming is cheap.
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Slightly OT but I wasn't sure where this belonged...
I have been wondering for a few years now when we might have the critical mass to make supervised bike parking an option. Maybe one of the local cycling organizations could take this on as a way to raise funds. Identify a suitable site then have volunteers park and secure bikes for a nominal donation. Start out on big festival weekends like SXSW/Pecan Street/Eeyore's/ACLfest and if the volume is there migrate into normal weekend service.
Now that capmetro is making it easier for us to take our bikes downtown is it time for the next leg in bike infrastructure support? Am I alone in thinking that a city that supports $5-20 night parking for cars might also support $2-3 for friday/saturday night bike parking?
I was at a music festival in Belgium a few years ago and a cycling organization provided bike valet service at the festival. I think it was 1 or 2 euros to park your bike for the day in an enclosed fenced in attended area. ACLFest already has a critical mass of bike riders who attend (and significant challenges finding a rack space open if you're not there early enough). SXSW probably would too.
Not sure if this justifies its own topic thread or not but would like to hear if anybody else thinks this might be viable. Thanks.
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I would like to see overflow bicycle parking as a floating barge on Lady Bird Lake during large events.
Search : malmo floating barge bike parking
Auditorium shores can get really packed during events. This strategy could relieve some traffic pressure.
Or open up part of the One Texas Center parking lot to a bike valet/pedi cab drop off point during these kind of events.
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What about giving input to the city through the speak up Austin web page initiative, I suggested:
http://tinyurl.com/3hqppek
So far 11 people "liked" it in FB but only two voted for it.
Last edited by bizikletari (2011-04-06 13:40:07)
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Slightly OT but I wasn't sure where this belonged...
I have been wondering for a few years now when we might have the critical mass to make supervised bike parking an option. Maybe one of the local cycling organizations could take this on as a way to raise funds. Identify a suitable site then have volunteers park and secure bikes for a nominal donation. Start out on big festival weekends like SXSW/Pecan Street/Eeyore's/ACLfest and if the volume is there migrate into normal weekend service.
Now that capmetro is making it easier for us to take our bikes downtown is it time for the next leg in bike infrastructure support? Am I alone in thinking that a city that supports $5-20 night parking for cars might also support $2-3 for friday/saturday night bike parking?
I was at a music festival in Belgium a few years ago and a cycling organization provided bike valet service at the festival. I think it was 1 or 2 euros to park your bike for the day in an enclosed fenced in attended area. ACLFest already has a critical mass of bike riders who attend (and significant challenges finding a rack space open if you're not there early enough). SXSW probably would too.
Not sure if this justifies its own topic thread or not but would like to hear if anybody else thinks this might be viable. Thanks.
I think this an excellent idea. There should definintely be administered, secure bike parking available at large events. $1 is the most that should be charged. Any more than that and it starts to take away one of the main benefits of biking.
I'd like to see businesses offer covered bike parking. When it's 100 degrees, I can bike a few miles downtown and not get very sweaty if I go easy, but then if have to spend a minute in the sun, that's the worst. Perhaps the COA could put a little roof over their bike racks out front (Barton Springs rd building). I guess there is garage bike parking too, but it'd be a nice touch. I wish Whole Foods would put a shade over their front bike parking too.
I think there should be more bike racks on 6th street on the corners where there already are a bunch. They often fill up very easily on the weekends.
Overall, I think Austin has a great business bike rack requirement. Coming from CT, I was blown away at how many bike racks I saw here. There are essentially none at businesses in many states. You have to carry a huge chain and hope to find a tree or lamp post to lock up to. Even the suburb areas here have bike racks at new construction businesses.
west 6th area, Barton Springs could use more racks.
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