Who wants an on-street bike corral?

Hey Chainlinkers,

The City of Chicago's Department of Transportation is introducing on-street bike parking corrals. On-street bike corrals are a low-cost way to provide parking for 10 or more bicycles in the same space typically occupied by a car. Currently, there are four bike corrals in Chicago, but there is a need for many more. There are many reasons why a business should get a bike corral installed, but the biggest benefit is economics. We keep hearing it in the news. 

Bicyclists tend to visit their local shops more often and spend more per month with all that disposable income. Making a bicyclists visit as convenient and inviting as possible makes sense for good business.

Do you know of a business or building that would benefit from having a bike corral?

Please reply here or send any suggestion to me at tony@activetrans.org

Also check out the bike corral website!

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 3, 2013 at 3:10am

The pressing need for on-street corral parking often depends on the road and sidewalk width and the neighborhood involved as well as the amount of people coming and going to the local businesses.   Some areas have very little sidewalk space and the buildings front very close to the curb so that parking more than one bike begins to really block pedestrian access.  Increase the pedestrian traffic and the bikes become even more intrusive when parked on the sidewalk.

When there were meters everywhere the meters themselves pushed the peds away from the curbside area.  They not only gave riders a solid lock-to spot but they added cover by creating a place where peds really couldn't walk along the sidewalk there anyhow so a bike locked to them really didn't get in the way any more than the meters did when they were empty.

Now that the meters are gone there are fewer spots to lock a bike and the peds have become used to using that area -especially in the really tight areas where buildings front very close to the curbside.   Those are the areas where bike parking is really tight and the bike corrals would bring the most relief.

Parking one car, often when that car conveyed only one occupant, in a spot that could accommodate a dozen bikes is obscene.  I have a lot of problems with the LAZ deal and the way that Halliburton-like corporation gets a non-competitive sweetheart crony-capitalist deal with the city, but I do NOT HAVE a problem with the parking fees  levied onto the drivers.   They are not nearly high enough IMHO.  I would never say that parking rates are obscene.  

The disgusting fact that a single wasteful polluting deathtrap gets to monopolize a hundred square feet of prime curbside real estate for only a few dollars an hour is obscene to me.  A quarter a MINUTE for auto parking would be more like in my opinion. 

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on January 3, 2013 at 3:13am

ahhh.... I wondered why they were removed in winter.

Steven Vance said:

Only the ones on snow routes are having to be removed during the winter. These are the routes that ban all parking once the snow hits 2 inches. These are different than overnight winter parking ban.

Adam Herstein said:

Also, I'd prefer if they weren't removed in the winter. By that argument, we should be removing car parking spaces in the summer.

Permalink Reply by milkbar on January 3, 2013 at 3:27am
The Metropolis loc would be amazing. In the spring & summer there are regularly more bikes stacked on the sidewalk than cars in their (admittedly small) adjacent parking lot.



Tony said:

Thanks Kevin and Duppie for suggesting Metropolis. Great idea! I'll reach out to them and look into the Farmer's Market location.

Duppie said:

I'd agree with both locations that Kevin mentions!

Kevin Zolkiewicz said:

Metropolis Coffee, 1039 W Granville. I believe the owner has expressed interest in offering increased bike parking.

I'd also suggest Clark and Berwyn on the west side of the intersection. There's practically no space for sidewalk racks at this corner due to a bus stop and numerous sidewalk cafes. Since Berwyn west of Clark is also the location of Andersonville's farmer's market in the summer, I think a corral at this spot would see a lot of use. Plus, if placed along Berwyn, it could remain year-round unlike Andersonville's other corrals located along Clark.

Permalink Reply by Rusty on September 30, 2013 at 10:07am

Guess I'll start this chain up again...I would definitely be in favor of one right around Roscoe/Damen in the heart of Roscoe Village area...happening intersection with many stores, taverns, restaurants, and a new coffee place going in on the corner. Can this happen CDOT?? I'll even clean/sweep it out every week for you

Permalink Reply by Kristen Maddox on September 30, 2013 at 4:01pm

Hey Rusty (and everyone),

Glad to see this thread brought back to life.

Does anyone know of any attempts to purchase bike corrals using crowd-sourced funding? For example: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or independent campaign website? Maybe part of the money could be raised by community members or bike enthusiasts. Perhaps businesses would be more likely to contribute if part of the cost was already covered.

I found one for Jacksonville, but not sure if it was completed--> http://www.beonespark.com/past_projects/453

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 30, 2013 at 5:56pm

The Merchandise Mart has run out of spaces on the racks on the Wells, Orleans, and front entrance sides. More parking is needed. If you could put two of these on the Wells side that would be great.

Andersonville  has one in front of the Hopleaf and its great and is used extensively. Up by Cheetah would be cool. Also up by Edgewater product and the Jewel would be helpful (in Andersonville) as there is only one rack and it's often filled.  

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on October 1, 2013 at 5:24am

Andersonville used a Kickstarter to fund their parklet.

Kristen Maddox said:

Hey Rusty (and everyone),

Glad to see this thread brought back to life.

Does anyone know of any attempts to purchase bike corrals using crowd-sourced funding? For example: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or independent campaign website? Maybe part of the money could be raised by community members or bike enthusiasts. Perhaps businesses would be more likely to contribute if part of the cost was already covered.

Permalink Reply by Reba 4.0 mi on October 1, 2013 at 5:18pm

Halsted St from Diversey to Belmont is a desert for bike racks in general. Even at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital there's only a few racks (unless you know about the ones inside the parking garage, on the first floor). Anywhere on the north end of the Diversey-Belmont area on Halsted would be a welcome spot for a bike corral.  

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 1, 2013 at 5:29pm

especially at Merchandise Mart and Jackson Lasalle. I have trouble locking up at both places.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

We need more of these in the Loop. A significant percentage of bike commuters are riding into the Loop daily, and bike rack space can get tight in summer months.

Also, I'd prefer if they weren't removed in the winter. By that argument, we should be removing car parking spaces in the summer.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on October 2, 2013 at 1:07am
If you're locking up at Jackson and LaSalle, there are a ton of racks along the west side of the Board of Trade building.

jolondon30 said:

especially at Merchandise Mart and Jackson Lasalle. I have trouble locking up at both places.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

We need more of these in the Loop. A significant percentage of bike commuters are riding into the Loop daily, and bike rack space can get tight in summer months.

Also, I'd prefer if they weren't removed in the winter. By that argument, we should be removing car parking spaces in the summer.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 2, 2013 at 1:22am

thanks Adam..good to know.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

If you're locking up at Jackson and LaSalle, there are a ton of racks along the west side of the Board of Trade building.

jolondon30 said:

especially at Merchandise Mart and Jackson Lasalle. I have trouble locking up at both places.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

We need more of these in the Loop. A significant percentage of bike commuters are riding into the Loop daily, and bike rack space can get tight in summer months.

Also, I'd prefer if they weren't removed in the winter. By that argument, we should be removing car parking spaces in the summer.

Permalink Reply by Matthew [cannonball] Franzen on October 4, 2013 at 7:36am

we have a few in andersonville [= More please! get those carsw outta here! lolz

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