New Lincoln Park Apple Store: Why No Bike Racks?

The new Apple store at North/Clybourn in Lincoln Park does not have bike racks.  Indeed, the picture of the store on the Apple website ironically shows a biker, who may have been searching for a bike rack at the time.
Biker wonders why beautiful computers but no bike racks (Photo from Apple website)

Chicago Blogger Steven Vance noted that bike accommodations were removed as part of the construction of the store and the associated renovation of the nearby Red Line station.  Apple funded those renovations in partnership with the CTA.

I talked to an Apple employee when I visited the store.  She was unaware of any plans to add bike racks, but said that such were a "possibility."

As a loyal Mac user I'm POed at Apple's lack of accommodation for customers who arrive at the store on bike, especially since it appears that Apple may have struck a deal for auto parking at a nearby garage.

Suggest bikers make their views known to store employees when they shop at the store or by phone:  (312) 777-4200.   As this is a prominent new retail outpost by a company that prides itself on good design and that demonstrated a commitment to public transit by investing in a renovation of the nearby CTA station it is worth squawking.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by carl whetherspoon on October 31, 2010 at 2:19pm
I would guess they would be adding them. Also, you can always bring your bike into the apple store
Permalink Reply by Scott on October 31, 2010 at 5:41pm
I just came back from this store. I locked up my bike at one of the two racks between the CTA entrance and the fountain.
Permalink Reply by kayaktjb on October 31, 2010 at 11:20pm
Good news. They weren't there on Saturday.



Scott said:
I just came back from this store. I locked up my bike at one of the two racks between the CTA entrance and the fountain.
Permalink Reply by carl whetherspoon on November 1, 2010 at 8:00am
i am interested to know what was said at the apple store, do tell!





H3N3 said:
I just spoke to a complete idiot at that store. I'll spare you all the details-- it was pretty offensive, actually.
I'm not completely happy with the way the poster going by kayaktjb presented the "facts" here, but I would echo his request for people to call the store and ask about the bike parking situation and plans.
Please report back here after you have done so so we can see if there's a response.
(312) 777-4200
Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on November 1, 2010 at 9:22am
Bike racks were added as of Friday, October 30, 2010. See photo.

However, as you can see in the photo, we can now add the "Apple Plaza" to the Bike Parking Hall of Shame for "installing" (er, dropping in) a grill rack.

This is extremely upsetting.

In a town full of bicycle parking and bikeway professionals, we still get amateur work.

My favorite photo:
Definition of irony
Bike is locked to sign that says lock only to signs. But, as discussed in this topic, the CTA may remove your bike if not locked to racks. The Municipal Code of Chicago specifically states people may lock their bikes on sign poles on sidewalks.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 1, 2010 at 3:49pm
A friend commented yesterday about the grill rack, saying that it had literally just been dropped there, not even bolted down.

Yep, definitely an addition to the hall of shame if this is all the attention bike parking gets at the Apple store.

Steven Vance said:
Bike racks were added as of Friday, October 30, 2010. See photo.

However, as you can see in the photo, we can now add the "Apple Plaza" to the Bike Parking Hall of Shame for "installing" (er, dropping in) a grill rack.

This is extremely upsetting.

In a town full of bicycle parking and bikeway professionals, we still get amateur work.

My favorite photo:
Definition of irony
Bike is locked to sign that says lock only to signs. But, as discussed in this topic, the CTA may remove your bike if not locked to racks. The Municipal Code of Chicago specifically states people may lock their bikes on sign poles on sidewalks.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 1, 2010 at 3:50pm
Next spring?!?!?

H3N3 said:
Per "Spencer", random employee that took the call:
(insert dismissive tone and side-comments to a magnitude of about 4/10 and condescension at about a level 3).
-nobody can comment on future plans but he thinks bike parking might be planned for next spring because obviously you wouldn't need it in the winter
-there may be things across the street for people to tie [sic] their bikes up to
-there is no manager's name that he can give me to contact because they will all say the same thing, that they're unable to comment on future plans
-there is no manager's name that he can give me to contact because they will all say the same thing, that they're unable to comment on future plans
-there is no manager's name that he can give me to contact because they will all say the same thing, that they're unable to comment on future plans
etc.



adam Hirsch said:
i am interested to know what was said at the apple store, do tell!





H3N3 said:
I just spoke to a complete idiot at that store. I'll spare you all the details-- it was pretty offensive, actually.
I'm not completely happy with the way the poster going by kayaktjb presented the "facts" here, but I would echo his request for people to call the store and ask about the bike parking situation and plans.
Please report back here after you have done so so we can see if there's a response.
(312) 777-4200
Permalink Reply by J M on November 1, 2010 at 4:15pm
Why don't you just ask Steve Jobs?
sjobs@apple.com or steve@apple.com
Keep it short.


H3N3 said:
Yes, next spring. Stated more than once.
I asked him several times if that was something he'd been told or just his own speculation and he wasn't willing to clarify.

So-- who's up for a little protest action?
I'll write and send the press release.
Permalink Reply by carl whetherspoon on November 1, 2010 at 4:56pm
do you think yur jumping the gun?

apple store just opened last weekend. they did remodel the red line and create a really nice public plaza (with free wifi)

I would give it a little before there are protests, but thats just me.
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on November 1, 2010 at 4:58pm
+1


adam Hirsch said:
do you think yur jumping the gun?

apple store just opened last weekend. they did remodel the red line and create a really nice public plaza (with free wifi)

I would give it a little before there are protests, but thats just me.
Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on November 1, 2010 at 5:46pm
Absolutely not jumping the gun.

First of all, the CTA puts up signs saying, "only lock to bike racks," doesn't provide bike racks, and this situation remains for a week.

Second, $3.9 million buys a lot of nice renovations. You know what $1,200 buys? 4 u-racks. That's more capacity than what was there before (by 2 spaces), but the station, the store, and the plaza can support more and the demand will be there. You know what $2,400 buys? 8 u-racks.
Apple Tree

Apple Trees are not acceptable places to lock bicycles. A bike rack should have been available from day one. Do you disagree?

Third, the station remained opened throughout construction but bike racks were missing for X weeks - I don't know how many weeks because I don't live around here to take notice, but at least 1 week. The CTA was not serving its customers appropriately during this time.

Fourth, while the Apple Store may have just opened last weekend, and the train station just "reopened," both Apple and CTA had 18 months to consider a construction schedule for bicycle parking facility that would be convenient for their customers who arrive to the store and station by bicycle.

Fifth, too much lip service about bicycles is given in this town and we need to stand up for quality infrastructure. Did you hear about CDOT getting $3.2 million to build a cycle track (separated bikeway) on Stony Island? Already there's talk of people at CDOT who're against a facility that would make bicycling there safer and probably attract new people to ride bikes.

Like I said in an earlier post in this topic, we have too many professionals in Chicago who would have done this differently but instead it seems amateurs got to decide what to give Chicagoans who ride their bicycles.

Read more about what I think of this situation.

adam Hirsch said:
do you think yur jumping the gun?

apple store just opened last weekend. they did remodel the red line and create a really nice public plaza (with free wifi)

I would give it a little before there are protests, but thats just me.
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on November 2, 2010 at 5:11am
You realize that from the point of view of someone managing an extremely expensive anchor project on a major retail corridor that was built without adding any car parking and while spending a great deal of money on a mass transit project, someone acting as if great injustice has been done because they don't like the shape of the bike racks on the site is going to come off like an absolute wingnut, right?

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