Where do you have trouble finding a bike rack to lock up at?

I take my bike everywhere I go in Chicago and unfortunately am used to finding a lack of rack space in certain locations.  I've called out my list of the major "offenders" below - would love to hear from others about locations you think lack sufficient rack space.  

Businesses should understand that installing bike racks - under the City's free program - attracts more customers and does a great  social good by encouraging biking.  Not being able to securely lock your bike discourages visiting a location!

1) North/Wells -  unless you get there early in the am the  racks  outside the Starbucks  and continuing up North on the West side are often filled.  Little tip- on the other side of the GNC store is a little hidden rack (just past Second City marquee).

2) Broadway/Belmont - very under racked intersection. Nothing outside the Walgreens; one outside the chicken hut; and I think just one small one outside the Chipotle. Walking up and down the streets doesn't help. Tonight people locked  up to small trees!

3)  The mini mall across  from the Post Office at 4877 North Broadway.  I go to  that food store next to the Dong Key restaurant and there is not one rack in the whole mall.  I lock to a garbage container there as there is nothing else to use. I have asked the owner of the anchor Viet food store to install one but I don't think she understands it is free.  

Question for one of you:  will the City install the rack on private property, as in the sidewalk within a mini mall?

Jo

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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 1, 2014 at 3:06pm


Funny you mentioned that Marianos. I switched from LSAC to the LA Fitness there a few months ago.  I u sually park at the Marianos rack, hit the gym, and then get stuff at Marianos. All at 7 am. These are the best racks in the city imho. They are covered..and there must be 50-70 berths. I believe a lot of the people are train commuters who use these racks as they are in better shape and appear to be located in a safer situation (the ones under the Rav. bridge have some beaters that have been there too long).

Sorry for all the posting everybody. I live in Uptown and just happen to frequent Lincoln Square and Ravenswood, which a lot of these other posts reference.

Jeff Schneider said:

The target on Division is much better.  I don't especially like the style of the racks they have, but there are a lot, and they are sheltered.

The Mariano's on Ravenswood has relatively a lot of racks, too, which are partially sheltered.

I actually travel farther to go to these business, rather than the ones you mentioned, for precisely this reason.

Gene Tenner said:

The Jewwel and Target in Uptown.

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on October 2, 2014 at 7:17am

Park West area has minimal bike parking, and all 3 signs are sucker poles.  I used the wrought iron fence Just west of there when I went to a show last week.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 2, 2014 at 4:25pm


I'm neither lazy nor entitled. I just think that stores with a lot of bike using customers like Walgreens and Chipotle should chip in as good citizens and request bike racks. They don't even have to pay for them.  It's a lot more convenient. Of course I can walk from a block away  - I bike 16 miles a day and through the winter - but I like the convenience of a bike rack. 
rwein5 said:

About 10+ of those racks are within 50 feet of the intersection. Similarly, that rack at Broadway market is about 20 paces from the store entrance. I'm not sure if you're lazy or entitled, but come on, it's really nothing worth complaining about.


jolondon30 said:



rwein5 said:

2)There are quite a few racks around here. I counted 16 "upside down U" racks between the Lakeview Athletic Club to Briar on Google Streetview.

Not at the intersection. For the entire Walgreens, which takes up a huge amount of space on Broadway and Bellmont, there is one.  There is one near the Chicken Hut I rerferences. There is non I could see at Chipotle but one small rack on the opposite intersection. So for an incredibly popular intersection day and, there are two racks right at the intersection.  Compared to other parts of the city that is very sparse. For for example in front of the Starbucks at North/Wells, which I would guess has similar traffic (and frankly an older demographic), there are 7 racks alone.

3) I go to that market a lot. There is a rack on the sidewalk, at the north end of the parking lot, right next to the Citibank entrance. Never had an issue there.

Yes, I've used that. My point was in the mall. sorry if that wasn't clear.  Hence my question about racks on private property. lt would be nice to have a rack right outside that door.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on October 3, 2014 at 2:42am

I went out to find a certain ice cream shop that was supposed to have ice cream sodas, located on Michigan Avenue. 

I went up Michigan from Chicago Avenue, then to Chestnut to Rush to State.  NO BIKE RACKS along this way until a little north on State Street!  Doesn't anybody shop by bike in this area?

I did go inside of Water Tower Place to look.  No bike racks nearby.  Trees (not a good idea) and posts (mostly bus stops, also not a good idea) but there was an island planted with rails on top where I finally locked up my bike.  I never did find the ice cream shop I was looking for.

The ice cream shop that I missed finding was Ghirardelli's, on Pearson.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 3, 2014 at 4:10am

Terrible area for bike parking and for riding. I avoid it.

Ghirardelli is directly across the street from the water tower.

Bob Kastigar said:

I went out to find a certain ice cream shop that was supposed to have ice cream sodas, located on Michigan Avenue. 

I went up Michigan from Chicago Avenue, then to Chestnut to Rush to State.  NO BIKE RACKS along this way until a little north on State Street!  Doesn't anybody shop by bike in this area?

I did go inside of Water Tower Place to look.  No bike racks nearby.  Trees (not a good idea) and posts (mostly bus stops, also not a good idea) but there was an island planted with rails on top where I finally locked up my bike.  I never did find the ice cream shop I was looking for.

The ice cream shop that I missed finding was Ghirardelli's, on Pearson.

Permalink Reply by KayCee on October 3, 2014 at 8:38am

Same situation further South on Michigan- racks are few and far between-- I have stopped several times to run errands between Roosevelt and Cullerton and had to really hunt for a rack.

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on October 3, 2014 at 8:53am

None that I can think of.

h' 1.0 said:

And while I'm taking up space in this thread: Anyone know any good jokes about ending a sentence with a preposition that are inoffensive yet funny?

Permalink Reply by Rich S on October 15, 2014 at 8:27am

The rack request at Belmont/Elston/California has been declined due to insufficient sidewalk space. 

I submitted a request to install racks in the space between NBC Tower and Gleacher Center on Cityfront Plaza Dr. There's a Divvy Station there but not a single bike rack which I find astounding. Saw lots of bikes locked to poles. My company is moving its office to the NBC Tower this month and the bike parking in their garage is so bad I actually feel safer locking to a pole outside. 

Please give some support hearts to the rack I requested at the link below. I'll happily return the favor which I have for some of the other rack requests mentioned in this discussion. 

http://bikeparking.chicagocompletestreets.org/place/256298

Permalink Reply by Haddon on October 15, 2014 at 1:04pm

Semi-Relevant:

Permalink Reply by Haddon on October 15, 2014 at 3:44pm

For responders with nothing but snark: If your life is so sad you derive pleasure from being insulting I feel sorry for you as do most other people. Rather than being a detractor find something interesting and post it, you'll feel better about yourself and other people will like you more. Thanks, Haddon.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 15, 2014 at 3:50pm

Rich, I go the Gleacher Center a lot and use a rack there.  It is right out the Gleacher Center entrance but just a short walk to the NYC Tower.  It's onthe roundabout in front of the Gleacher Center entrance.  Wierd thing about this Google map is it shows the rack but if you try to get closer it switches to a street view from 2009 when the rack wasn't there. It only took me five hours to figure this out.

Anyhow hope this helps and you can survive the 100 foot walk. :)

I"ve also pasted it below as a  big ass image if that link doesn't work (don't know why it wouldn't but I made the capture  so thought I'd use it).  Anyway hope this helps..the racks are the good kind.


Rich S said:

The rack request at Belmont/Elston/California has been declined due to insufficient sidewalk space. 

I submitted a request to install racks in the space between NBC Tower and Gleacher Center on Cityfront Plaza Dr. There's a Divvy Station there but not a single bike rack which I find astounding. Saw lots of bikes locked to poles. My company is moving its office to the NBC Tower this month and the bike parking in their garage is so bad I actually feel safer locking to a pole outside. 

Please give some support hearts to the rack I requested at the link below. I'll happily return the favor which I have for some of the other rack requests mentioned in this discussion. 

http://bikeparking.chicagocompletestreets.org/place/256298

Permalink Reply by Rich S on October 16, 2014 at 8:40am

I actually did see that rack (it was full) when I walked over there last week. But it didn't look like a city installed rack fixed to the sidewalk so I put in the request for new racks in anyway. It's one of those that 2 or 3 people could carry away if there weren't any bikes locked to it. Even though I feel comfortable locking to that rack there should still be more bike parking there. I saw at least 4 or 5 bikes locked to poles on that strip. 

Basically NBC's indoor bike parking has room for only 4 securely locked bikes and it's accessible to the public. I think I'll be ok through the winter but I'm nervous about bike parking for next spring/summer. There are 4 of us at the office that ride all winter as it is and a few more that will also ride in the nicer months. I'm hoping the rack request is approved and they get installed in time. 



jolondon30 said:

Rich, I go the Gleacher Center a lot and use a rack there.  It is right out the Gleacher Center entrance but just a short walk to the NYC Tower.  It's onthe roundabout in front of the Gleacher Center entrance.  Wierd thing about this Google map is it shows the rack but if you try to get closer it switches to a street view from 2009 when the rack wasn't there. It only took me five hours to figure this out.

Anyhow hope this helps and you can survive the 100 foot walk. :)

I"ve also pasted it below as a  big ass image if that link doesn't work (don't know why it wouldn't but I made the capture  so thought I'd use it).  Anyway hope this helps..the racks are the good kind.



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