The Chainlink

Overnight, indoor bike parking or Bike Lockers

I commute via Metra UPN to Davis. The other day it occurred to me how nice it would be to have a place to securely lock up bikes overnight, safely near transit. That way, I could arrive at Davis, grab my bike, and go.


Washington DC has bike lockers outside some of there Metro stations. They are locked, covered, and rented.

Is this something ever considered in Chicago area?

http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2010/09/bike-lockers-worth-the-fee/

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Permalink Reply by Bill Savage on November 19, 2012 at 10:06am

You should get ATA to talk to the people who run the big parking garages in downtown Evanston.  One is just east of the Davis El stop, a block east of the UPN Metra stop.  A half dozen spaces dedicated to bikes indoors might be a start.

Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on November 19, 2012 at 11:47am

It will not happen because of liability issues.  I noticed that a Chicago Public School had an outdoor cage next to the building which is unlocked before school, locked during the school day, and locked after school.  After the theft of a number of bicycles, I went to a PTA big wig and suggested that maybe we could put Bike Racks in the cage.   I was told that this was a bad idea to suggest because of fears of liability, and that if it were raised, the likely reaction is that the CPS would, in fact, want to remove the outside racks (on the sidewalk next to the school).    And I suspect that they same problem would arise with Parking Garages.  The liability is not worth the risk absent some kind of high fee.   

Permalink Reply by Michael A on November 19, 2012 at 12:00pm

I could see homeless folks using them instead of cardboard boxes

Permalink Reply by Chris Hainey on November 19, 2012 at 12:09pm

Elmhurst has them at the Metra station:

http://www.elmhurst.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1516

The Elmhurst Bicycle Club helped get them installed.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on November 19, 2012 at 12:14pm

I have seen such lockers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital between one of their buildings and the parking garage.  I assume they are for employees.  The way Elmhurst handles it would make sense.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 19, 2012 at 12:40pm

There's a locked bicycle cage on the 2nd floor of the Sherman Plaza parking garage.  It's inside the garage, relatively protected from weather, holds a couple dozen bikes, accessible only with a key for the cage gate.  Not sure what the bike parking rental fee might be, if anything, as I live nearby and have no use for it.  If you enter the garage at the northeast corner of Benson & Davis(half block south of the east CTA station entrance) and take the elevator to 2, you'll be staring at the bike lockup.

EDIT: Okay, my curiosity got the best of me, so I called the garage: Sherman Plaza Self Park - 847.491.6908.  Bike parking is free, no residency requirements (anyone from Chicago or anywhere else can use it free).  But I was mistaken about the locked cage, it's an unlocked wire mesh door on the elevator side, locked gate on the far side.  The garage is staffed 24/7 and I think there's a camera near the bike racks.

There's also inside bike parking (I'm pretty sure it's free) as you enter the 1800 Maple Garage (Maple & Clark).  This one's nice as it sits DIRECTLY outside of the guard's window.  I think they'd be on a bike thief like white on rice there.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 19, 2012 at 1:05pm

Oh, if cycling 200 feet south of the Davis CTA station to Sherman Plaza is too far away, I just remembered there's a small vertical wall-mounted bike rack inside the CTA station for 4 or 5 bikes, though I've never seen it full.  It's on the train-side of the turnstiles, opposite the elevator for the northbound trains.  I wouldn't advise parking at the Davis Metra stop, which is a couple hundred feet west of the Davis CTA Purple Line stop, as there's no secure lockup on the Metra property that I know of.

There are a lot of bike racks outside on the west side of the Davis Purple station, along the exterior door from the plaza (between the Metra & CTA tracks) and down that little alley/gangway, but these are exposed to the elements and potential thieves, so I wouldn't recommend them.

Permalink Reply by Richard on November 19, 2012 at 3:04pm

Thanks Thunder. I've often thought about how perfect Metra and Bikes go together, especially if one could have two 'junkers' waiting at the home and work stations (and thus not have to physically lug a full framed bike on board a train).

Though I've been content with my folder on metra, I'm just trying to consider this multi-modal commute from every angle.

I'd even be willing to pay a small monthly fee if I could assume that most (seat, tires, frame, and handlebars) would be there in the morning -- dry and ready to go.

Permalink Reply by Richard on November 19, 2012 at 3:07pm

This is a neat idea -- especially given that the local bike community helped organize it.

Would anyone in Evanston (and/or the business community) entertain this notion. It may be a simple as adding such indoor bike parking locations to maps.

Chris Hainey said:

Elmhurst has them at the Metra station:

http://www.elmhurst.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1516

The Elmhurst Bicycle Club helped get them installed.

Permalink Reply by Anika on November 19, 2012 at 9:11pm
Schaumburg Metra station has a few of these just off the platform. My understanding is that the wait list is very long for them though...

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