We have one of these in my small, snowy Vermont town. I think it’s brilliant since it’s easily removed in winter when the bike rack would hinder plowing/sidewalk clearing.
A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
61–70 of 307 posts
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
The avarage bike around here retails for about $1500, so $15000 in a single swipe isn't bad. I have seen an entire bike rack being pulled out of the ground using a truck and winch, so yes it does happen. Research has shown over and over again that penalty is seldom a factor in decision making, gain vs perceived risk of getting caught is, and stealing a single bike is still a felony. You don't need a tow truck license…
> The avarage bike around here retails for about $1500 Average bike on the street? Do you have any source of similar claim?
Its mostly an informed guestimate from spending time in bike stores and seeing what other commuters ride. But here goes:
In 2014 the average retail price was $714 nation-wide (https://www.statista.com/statistics/276088/average-retail-pr...) around here in Portland, OR people tend to prefer fancier bikes, the shop I worked for in 2006 had an average retail about $1700 back in the day but that was a higher end speciality store. In recent years e-bikes have gotten extremely popular here, their retail prices range from $2500 and up, skewing the average price point up further.
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
>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”.
Yeah, I don't think that you will succeed in convincing any parent with this kind of argument. Getting their kid hit by a car is a way more "real" and tangible concern for parents than some abstract emission goal.
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#64Local 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…
The locals in the US are militant against anything that reduces street parking in their neighborhoods.
See 14th street bus lanes in NYC. https://www.amny.com/transit/14th-street-busway-lawsuit-1.33...
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#65> 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)
The innovation is that these are temporary, and are an experiment. If the temporary one attracts significant usage, it's replaced with a permanent one. If not, it reverts to car usage.
Sincerely asking, but what is the innovation? These have existed for a very long time: https://www.theparkcatalog.com/9-bike-single-sided-grid-bike...
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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?
The avarage bike around here retails for about $1500, so $15000 in a single swipe isn't bad. I have seen an entire bike rack being pulled out of the ground using a truck and winch, so yes it does happen. Research has shown over and over again that penalty is seldom a factor in decision making, gain vs perceived risk of getting caught is, and stealing a single bike is still a felony. You don't need a tow truck license…
That's nowhere near the value of bikes you'll find on the street in the Netherlands. The average resale value is going to be much much closer to 50€ than $1500.
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#67I like the ones pictured lower in that Twitter feed where there is a big chunk of car shaped metal between the bikes and the road. I had a concern with the original that some asshole not paying attention to the road is going to sideswipe the spot and ruin 10 bike tires at once.
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#68quick survey : how many readers actually ride to work?
I do, when the weather is acceptable. Not too cold (20F/-7C to 100F/38C) nor excessive precipitation (something of a problem this year) nor a day where I need to go on site (which is sadly in the middle of nowhere). Works out to two or three days per week typically.
I did lose an entire month once--February a few years ago, when the snow never melted for the entire month, and I had low ridership last summer when I had to drop the kids off at camp every day in August and it just didn't make sense to drive back home to hop on the bike. I probably lose just as many days to stupid stuff like that as I do to the weather. Still, I'm happier on days when I get to bike. I only occasionally get stuck in traffic on the bike--when pedestrians decide to fill up the bike lane and walk very slowly in a huge clump.
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
Really? I don't believe I've ever seen one in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville. What are the nearby bike friendly cities?
Re: A “bike platform” that temporarily swaps one car parking space for ten bicycles
#70Local 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…
In Atlanta we had one of our main highways collapse, I85. It was the exit after my place. Everyone adjusted and it actually forced people to ride the train. The train stations had to borrow parking spaces from businesses and schools. Everyone will adjust. On the first day it will be a disaster if it’s unexpected.
For years I commuted by train/bus to school/work until I could afford (the extra $200ish per month) to switch to driving to claw-back an hour of time I spent commuting each day. If traffic devolved to the point that I wouldn't be able to drive to work anymore I /would/ adjust, but I'd be generally less happy for it.