These have been in for a while, but Somerville has finally brought "on street" bike parking to the Boston area- fitting 9 bikes into the space of one car:
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| These are in front of Diesel Cafe in Davis Square |
I also noted several bike racks around Davis Sq. that were rings fastened to poles that already happened to be stuck in the ground. On one hand, locking to the pole might have been just as easy as locking to the ring, and there are questions about how secure the rings are. Cambridge phased out this kind of bolt-on ring, after they started to fail or be compromised in some cases. In theory you use tamper-proof fasteners and it should be pretty secure I would think.
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| When you're locking up with a cable lock to begin with, security is relative :) |
As automated multi-space meters are taking over parking areas, however, it seems like developing a protocol for turning abandoned meter poles into bike racks is a worthy project.
Once the meter head is taken off, you lose that pole as a parking spot, but few cities want to spend the extra money to remove the meter pole and install a new pole which is part of a dedicated bike rack. One other solution I have seen is to leave the meter head on, but remove the core- so you can't lift the bike off the top, but it's supposedly obvious that the meter doesn't work any more.
Cycler,
ReplyDeleteVery timely post; I just received this invite:
To All Bicycle Enthusiasts,
The City of Cambridge needs your votes! Come to the CAC Gallery to cast your vote for your favorite bicycle rack design. SPUN is an exhibition showcasing 17 designs by 5 artists. Public votes and comments will be considered when the City makes a final selection of designs to be fabricated and installed on Main Street in Kendall Square.
Join us for a reception on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, from 6:00 � 8:00 p.m. in the Cambridge Arts Council�s CAC Gallery at 344 Broadway (corner of Inman Street) in Cambridge.
Please forward this message to your audiences and spread the word!
Looking forward to meeting you,
The Cambridge Arts Council
Mark
I'm glad there's finally more bike parking available. I hardly ever need to lock outside, since I have a folding bike and take it inside with me most of the time - but it's still nice to know that there are more and better options for outdoor locking.
DeleteAlmost all of the on street racks you see in Cambridge, Somerville, Boston and beyond have been funded through the MAPC Bike Parking program. In fact we have funded over 13,000 bike parking spaces in the Boston area in the last 5 years! Look for more cycle stalls to come to Somerville and Cambridge in 2012... Hubway too!
ReplyDelete