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A study revealed that a lack of secure bike parking was the biggest reason why people don’t cycle to work. So the Department of Transportation is cooperating with Cooper-Hewitt, Google and Transportation Alternatives to organize an international design competition for the next generation of city bike racks. More than $50,000 in honoraria to develop prototype bike racks and $15,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top designs.
Contestants are asked to submit designs for sidewalk bike racks and to generate new concepts for bicycle parking inside commercial and residential buildings. Jury members include local celebrity cycling advocate David Byrne and international design superstar Duncan Jackson. Thirty-seven new bike shelters are being installing in the city, but the contest is intended to replace the standard U-shaped ‘CityRack’ seen all over town. (Find out how you can request a CityRack for your neighborhood.)
NYC currently has nearly 4,700 CityRacks and will continue adding at least 500 a year, but the DOT is looking for a new design because the boring old CityRack just doesn’t “fulfill its potential to be an icon for New York City cycling.” Designers are being encouraged to look to the city’s sleek new bus and bike shelters for guidance, but a glass bike rack is probably the wrong direction to go in. And winners of the In-Building competition may have their prototype installed inside Google’s Manhattan headquarters.
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Bike thieves are the reason I don't ride to work. Until they have indoor storage manned by a guard making more than minimum wage I'll stick to the subway.
EastRiver: I ride a bike I bought secondhand for $70 to work. It's neither clean nor attractive, but it is in perfect working condition and no one has ever messed with it (I park it outside at home too).
Even if someone ever did do something to it, the whole bike cost me less than a monthly Metrocard and has recouped at least 10 times that amount.
The U racks are not bad if you're willing to leave a bike outside.
My "problem" is my bike is a bit too nice for that. I'd ride to work if I was allowed to bring it inside. But the building won't allow it.
no matter how good the bike rack is the mexicans will get your bike. Trust me. There is a network of mexican bike thieves that work hand in hand with the mexican delivery guys. If you go to any takeout place you will see a rack of delivery bikes. Look at the bikes! they are all stolen and have been taped up and camouflaged. This is how it works. mexican delivery guy delivers food to a apartment, looks around at the bikes in the neighborhood, if he sees a good bike he'll call in the thieves and they will steal it with a van full of power tools. How do I know this? my bike was stolen and then I recovered it by luck one day as I was passing a deli. the cops told me these guys have a criminal ring but bikes aren't high on their crimes to quash list. I've also seen a whole bunch of mexican gangs going around looking at bikes. they broke my 200 dollar kryptonite chain, my 100 u-lock and I had 2 wheel locks. 4 locks altogether. They broke $350 dollars worth of locks just for a $250 dollar used bike that they sold for $100 bucks. RIDICULOUS!
I've also seen a whole bunch of mexican gangs going around looking at bikes.
Where and when? Maybe snap some pix for us next time you see this "gang"?
We need a bike check/valet like what they have at the former Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field.
david byrne is a perfect candidate to help judge the designs - not only a cyclist, he also went to architecture school, i belive.
for anyone lucky enough to have a little extra space in their apartments, you might want to look into these
http://www.rutlandindustries.com/mini_mum/index.html
First a better bike lock design,natch I have
seem thieves use a metal bar to break those fancy
locks in about 15 seconds out my window.
I'll be happy to submit my entry. Now where can I find the blueprints for the Toronto bike post and rings|?
"A study revealed that a lack of secure bike parking was the biggest reason why people don’t cycle to work."
Ack! This is great, but could someone please provide some secure scooter parking as well?
Not everyone can ride a bike to work, but anything that gets people out of their cars would be an improvement.
If they're serious about this, bike parking, at a minimum, must:
A) Be indoors, to keep bikes clean and dry.
B) Be attended, because no lock is realistically going to deter a determined bike thief.
C) Include a shower or at least a changing room, because cycling to work in August is going to make a lot of people sweaty.
Personally, I'd be willing to pay a reasonable monthly fee for access to such a facility, since I know it wouldn't be free to provide it to people.
the bike rack at union square nw is pretty cool. it's designed like the new bus terminals.
you guys are missing the point completely. The police don't crack down on bike thefts at all. 95% of bikes are never retrieved. they don't give a fuck about you or your bike. When I went to get my bike the serial number had been filed off and the police said I was shit out of luck even though I was smart enough to put a piece of paper with all my ownership numbers inside the handle bar and they found it. all criminals have to do is file off the serial number and you are screwed.
The ideal NYC bike rack would include a tissue box holder for all the crying and whining that cyclists in this city engage in.
I am an avid kickbiker and It would be great to have a way to stash the bike while in the city, even if it was centrally located. It would be particularly cool if it was a membership perk of getting a monthly MTA pass, or if you could use your MTA card, and it was just like a subway ride. I also think that some form of covered bike storage is the best way to go.
Here's a link http://kickbiker.com to see what a kickbike looks like if you have never seen one before. I ride mine all over the city and love it. It is also easier on your clothes since ther is no seat or chain.
First, post #16 is funny because it is true. Although I am an avid cyclist I am horrified at the proposals I see on Streetsblog. Pick the chamois out of your ass and stop whining about life in a city.
Second I also didn't cycle to work when I didn't have secure parking for my rig either. I have both too much sentimental value in my bikes, and experience growing up in this town to leave them outside for long. When I could bring the bike inside the ride was a great stress relief though.
JMH's post (#13) is nuts that those are the minimum services to be considered serious. What do you really want, a valet and tune up?