Could bike corrals be answer to bike parking shortage?
Posted January 30, 2015 11:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A local cycling advocate says there aren’t enough places to park your bike when out and about in Vancouver.
Chris Bruntlett of Modacity says bike corrals are the answer.
The corrals are street level parking for bikes, rather than sidewalk level. They’re essentially city metered parking spots converted for cyclists.
One local example is the space in front of JJ Bean on Commercial Drive.
“Portland is another example. It’s renown across North America for its bike corral program. Since 2010, they have installed over 120 of these corrals outside of businesses and that has increased the number of visitors to these businesses,” says Bruntlett, who points out there is a two year wait list in that city for businesses who want a bike corral.
But would Vancouver be reluctant to give up the revenue generated by parking meters?
“I would argue that they would probably make that up in tax revenues due to extra dollars being spent inside the business,” he says.
“Why provide a pickup truck the space to store one occupant for a couple of dollars an hour when you can fit another prospective 20 customers in the same space?”
