P POCKET GUIDE TO BIKE PARKING
With a little planning and consideration, providing good, secure bike parking can be easy. These pages contain some basic guidelines to make your bike parking project a success. If you have more questions on bike parking guidelines, please contact us. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158 © 2015 Dero
WHAT MAKES A RACK BIKE ? GOOD At a minimum, a good bike rack will allow both the frame and at least one wheel of the bike to be secured with a u-style lock. For orderly parking, the rack should make at least two points of contact with the bike. 1 2 www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
BAD BIKE RACKS Racks that cradle only the front wheel of the bike should be avoided, since they are not u-lock compatible and may cause damage to bicycles. GOOD BIKE RACKS There are many examples of good, u-lock compatible bike racks. Although wave-style racks are u-lock compatible, they do not provide two points of contact with bikes and are not ideal. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
SHORT-TERM PARKING Short-term bike parking is defined as unsheltered, unenclosed bike racks with an intended parking duration of less than two hours. The majority of public bike racks are considered short-term parking. LONG-TERM PARKING To be considered long-term parking, the facility needs the added protection of an enclosure (shelters, bike rooms, lockers) or active surveillance (bike valet). Bike Locker Bike Room Enclosed Shelter Valet Parking www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
SPACE REQUIREMENTS www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
CAPACITY AND SPACE USE These diagrams illustrate the amount of space used by average sized bikes parked in various ways. Be sure to contact your city government and confirm any minimum ordinances or mandates applicable. Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical 2 Bikes 10 Bikes 2-tier www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
SETBACKS Follow these recommended setbacks when installing racks near walls, streets, infrastructure, or other bike racks. These setbacks represent generally recommended distances. Be sure to consult local building and city codes before installing racks. *
CHOOSING A SITE IDENTIFY CURRENT PROBLEMS Notice where bicyclists tend to park now and locations where bike parking is clearly inadequate. When no bike racks are provided, people improvise and lock their bicycles to anything that seems secure. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
CHOOSE A PROMINENT LOCATION If people can’t find your rack, they won’t use it. Placing bike racks near entrances and other areas with high pedestrian traffic will also help deter theft. INSTALLATION SURFACES CONCRETE Concrete is the best and least expensive surface material for a variety of rack types and installation methods. Both in-ground and surface mounts work well on concrete and are easy to install. ASPHALT, PAVERS, AND TILE Factors affecting the suitability of these materials include the thickness of the surface material, the makeup of the below-grade material, and climate. Freestanding racks are recommended for these surface types. MULCH, GRASS, AND DIRT For organic materials such as mulch, grass, and dirt, you will need a bike rack with a freestanding option, or you may pour concrete footings to embed or anchor the rack down. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
MOUNTING OPTIONS SURFACE MOUNT The metal flange is anchored to the ground with appropriate hardware. Tamper-proof options are available for greater security. IN-GROUND MOUNT The rack is embedded into concrete surface. RAIL MOUNT Racks are bolted to rails which may be anchored to surface or left free-standing. ADDED SECURITY SQUARE TUBING A determined thief will eventually cut through anything, but for greater security choose a rack made with heavy-gauge square tubing that is not vulnerable to pipe cutters. TAMPER-PROOF HARDWARE For racks bolted to the surface, consider using non-standard nuts to help deter theft. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
BIKE PARKING FACILITIES BIKE SHELTERS AND LOCKERS Adding covered bike parking is a great way to win points with your bicyclists and earn LEED points for your facility. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
GET CREATIVE Who says bike racks have to be boring? The sky is the limit with fun bike rack designs – just make sure your rack also functions well and can be used with a u-lock. BIKE ROOMS Bike rooms provide a great opportunity for high security, long-term bike parking when there is no place outside to put shelters or lockers. Dedicated indoor bike storage rooms are praised by bicyclists for residential and commercial use. BRANDED PARKING A custom rack with your logo can increase awareness of your business and show that your company supports clean, healthy forms of transportation. BIKE CORRALS Bike corrals are ideal in high density areas with small sidewalks and heavy pedestrian traffic. Portland’s program has been so successful that businesses have begun requesting removal of car parking in favor of bike parking in front of their stores and offices. www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
RESOURCES CONTACT THE BICYCLING EXPERTS Go straight to the bicycle advocacy organizations who are on their bikes every day. Listed below are just some of the many bicycling organizations located throughout the United States. Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP) www.apbp.org League of American Bicyclists www.bikeleague.org National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) www.nacto.org PeopleForBikes www.peopleforbikes.org Safe Routes to School National Partnership www.saferoutespartnership.org Atlanta Bicycle Coalition www.atlantabike.org Bike Cleveland www.bikecleveland.org Bike Easy www.bikeeasy.org Bike Houston www.bikehouston.org Bike Indianapolis www.bikeindianapolis.org Bike Pittsburgh www.bikepgh.org Bike Texas www.biketexas.org BikeWalkKC (Kansas City) www.bikewalkkc.org Hawaii Bicycling League www.hbl.org LivableStreets (Boston) www.livablestreets.info Local Motion (Vermont) www.localmotion.org Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) www.la-bike.org Our Streets MPLS www.ourstreetsmpls.org San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) www.sfbike.org Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia www.bicyclecoalition.org The Street Trust (Portland, OR) www.thestreettrust.org Transportation Alternatives (New York City) www.transalt.org Walk Bike Tampa www.walkbiketampa.org Washington Area Bicyclist Association www.waba.org Yay Bikes! www.yaybikes.com REGIONAL NATIONAL www.bjspark.com (800) 392-6158
We know bike parking. Inside and out.® www.bjspark.com | (800) 392-6158 4003 Briar Lane, Magnolia, TX 77354 MADE IN USA www.dero.com
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