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A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

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Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#51

Post by alkonaut »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #44
frankus wrote: post #35

Local governments (at least in the US) seem to systematically underinvest in experiments like this. Things like traffic congestion have a ton of weird, largely unpredictable positive and negative feedback loops. Seattle removed its waterfront viaduct from service for a couple of weeks before changing over to the new $3.3B tunnel and traffic was mostly fine, despite apocalyptic predictions of gridlock. It's not entire…

Local governments are generally paralyzed by a fear of being liable if it somehow goes sideways. Of course they cling to the status quo for dear life.

This is why they need to be pushed into having lofty goals like reducing traffic/emissions, improving public health and so on. And then they should be held to those goals, forcing them to take risks and spend.

What I hear all the time with programs like this (where politicians almost have the opposite problem) is basically this type of (slightly made up) media dialog: “won’t it be dangerous to force children to ride bikes from age one?”

“Yes, but if we are to meet the emission goals by 2025 we have no choice”.

To be clear, think it’s good that politicians are more afraid of being seen as having done too little, than they are afraid of being liable for their actions.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#52

Post by Yetanfou »

chance_state wrote: post #33

>The fietsvlonder is a “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for 10 bicycles. If deemed a success, the curb is permanently adjusted, and the structure is moved to the next location. What makes it a success or failure?

Success equals no serious complaints:

https://www.denhaag.nl/nl/in-de-stad/verkeer-en-vervoer/fiet...

"Als er na 3 maanden geen ernstige bezwaren zijn van bewoners, dan wordt de vlonder weggehaald en vervangen door fietsbeugels die blijven staan" which translates to "Should there not be any serious complaints within 3 months the platform will be removed and replaced with permanent cycle parking"

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#53

Post by chance_state »

Yetanfou wrote: post #52
chance_state wrote: post #33

>The fietsvlonder is a “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for 10 bicycles. If deemed a success, the curb is permanently adjusted, and the structure is moved to the next location. What makes it a success or failure?

Success equals no serious complaints: https://www.denhaag.nl/nl/in-de-stad/verkeer-en-vervoer/fiet... "Als er na 3 maanden geen ernstige bezwaren zijn van bewoners, dan wordt de vlonder weggehaald en vervangen door fietsbeugels die blijven staan" which translates to "Should there not be any serious complaints within 3 months the platform will be removed and replaced with permanent cycle parking"

Oh, interesting! Thank you.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#54

Post by futureastronaut »

z2 wrote: post #26
futureastronaut wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ten years or so ago I recall a story about some guys in Eugene unbolting an entire rack full of bikes from the asphalt and loading it into a truck. Can't find the story now.

The bigger, the easier to get away with it from a social perspective--they could look more like people on official construction business.

If I recall correctly, they were dressed like ODOT workers to appear official.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#56

Post by Finnucane »

futureastronaut wrote: post #3
whalesalad wrote: post #2

> A light, quick, cheap solution so good, it should be copied the world over. It is. This can be seen all over... SF, LA, DC, Austin, Ann Arbor ... I have seen this everywhere (in the US)

Temporary/incremental bike racks are common? I've never seen this before in any US city. Pretty cool idea.

Parking-space racks come out in the summer in the more bike-friendly cities near Boston, for several years now. So, yeah, it's definitely a thing here.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#57

Post by Finnucane »

Scoundreller wrote: post #22
futureastronaut wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Temporary/incremental bike racks are common? I've never seen this before in any US city. Pretty cool idea.

And makes a lot of sense when demand is seasonal (e.g.: summer surges of bicyclists)

In the winter it would be hard to plow around them.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#58

Post by tobylane »

Yetanfou wrote: post #40

https://www.denhaag.nl/nl/in-de-stad/verkeer-en-vervoer/fiet... Here's a bit more information on the things, in Dutch. They have 10 of them in Den Haag (The Hague), they are placed on a parking spot and left there for 3 months. Should there not be any complaints the thing will be removed and replaced with permanent cycle parking within another 3 months. The device seems to be free-standing and to rely on weight alone…

Similar thing here that Londoners can request from their borough. https://www.cyclehoop.com/product/shelters-canopies/bikehang...

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#59

Post by cortesoft »

frankus wrote: post #35

Local governments (at least in the US) seem to systematically underinvest in experiments like this. Things like traffic congestion have a ton of weird, largely unpredictable positive and negative feedback loops. Seattle removed its waterfront viaduct from service for a couple of weeks before changing over to the new $3.3B tunnel and traffic was mostly fine, despite apocalyptic predictions of gridlock. It's not entire…

> Seattle removed its waterfront viaduct from service for a couple of weeks before changing over to the new $3.3B tunnel and traffic was mostly fine, despite apocalyptic predictions of gridlock.

I think this is not really capturing the full impact. This could have been caused by people choosing not to travel as much, and we would have to measure the economic impact of the reduced travel. Are people not visiting local businesses because they decide to stay home?

Not saying you aren't correct, just that traffic levels are only one thing we need to look at.

Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles

#60

Post by therealx »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #13
jascii wrote: post #9

My first thought? Bring a flat-bed and you have 10 bicycles.. Are there any security features in this concept?

> Are there any security features in this concept? The fact that you'd need a flat-bed to steal the bicycles is a security feature. People steal bikes because the penalty isn't serious. Who is going to risk a felony and their tow truck license for just a few bikes?

I dont think op meant a tow truck - a flat bed can mean a regular truck in some parts. I bet this would fit in the back of my long bed truck.
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