scale

Why isnt it required to have a "good" bike rack out in front of all businesses? I would think it only makes sense with the wave of E-bike folks and thats only going to get worse.

If they want ppl to be green its seems like a pretty good first step. I ride 1000+ miles a summer but refuse to stop anywhere or grocery shop despite there being a few grocery stores within a half mile. No racks. Street signs work fine when available but you would think that more places would try to cater to folks 1. trying to be healthy....2. trying to be green, etc etc. I would think it would have to be mandatory.

Are they just ignorant? Clearly there has to be more to it then that. Install costs? Ive heard ppl saying most cant because of city ordinance or there are "fees" to having bike racks......... or that perhaps it blocks the sidewalk for disabled folks. All seem like excuses with pretty easy fixes. Most folks will say.....you should suggest that to the business owner etc etc. That goes about as far as pissing in the wind in my experience. Its just wasted sounds coming out of your face.

Just curious i guess. Even in the most bike friendly cities it seems to be not great. Does anyone know what it takes to get more accessible racks at places so people can lock up properly? Its disappointing. Probably a lot of opinions on it i would imagine.

Daniel4

Downtown Toronto has lots of ring-and-post bike racks, almost on every block. It's hit and miss in the suburbs.

My gym has those jail bar type of racks. So I lock my bike on the big iron supporting column right next to it because the top horizontal bar of the bike rack is too low for my wheel. Not only that too many racks only allow enough room for the front wheel. My bike has a back rack. I like to be able to secure my rear wheel along with the bike frame. A few of my bikes have quick release wheels so locking the front wheel only is not an option.

The Home Depot and Canadian Tire I go to has those wavy racks that I can use because they don't have any top restrictions.

And then there used to be a bike shop where the rack wasn't even bolted down. I asked the store why and they said that at the end of the day, they can bring the rack into the shop and lock up.

Another bike store has a sign on the window inviting you to bring your bike in. But inside, the only place to put your bike is to lean it somewhere like a product display table. So I just lock it outside on a ring-post rack.

Chuck M 

Wanting all businesses to be required to have bike racks outside is pretty much asking for more government overreach. And not all businesses get bike traffic do they? While I would appreciate a bike rack outside a couple of businesses I occasionally ride my bike to, I don't want the city mandating them. And as a business owner that bikes, I don't even have a rack outside of the building I own as I doubt none of the employees or clients would ever use them.

I don't think more bike racks are a bad thing. My favorite coffee shop I ride to has one and I wish the brewery I like had one. But any government be it local, state or federal shouldn't be involved in making it happen.

GamblerGORD53

Half the racks I see on private property, are made for kid bikes and or slammed against a WALL. ZERO chance of using them.
The snake style racks are not bad. At least they quit making the jail bar ones.

05 fuji

Put a kickstand on your bike.

debade

Many cities have bike rack ordinances. All cities have car park ordinances. The bike rack ordinances that I am most impressed are Portland and Milwaukee. There might be better but I know those. You should be able to find them online.

.in the meantime, this is an advocacy issue as well as educational one. If your city has a Complete Streets ordinance, they likely have a bike rack ordinance. If not, you could advocate. Help the city decide type, where they can be placed and more.

Again, I think after reviewing an ordinance, you will be able to decide what is right for your experiences and goals.

veganbikes

I had a former co-worker who watched as an entire rack full of bikes was lifted and thrown in a truck. He was out to lunch with his wife and watched two of them lift it full of bikes into a truck. Just be careful out there thieves don't give a crap in the end unless it is well secured and un-tampered with it may not always be safe.

PaulH

If there is no bike rack, drive. If there are no parking spaces for cars, use the Internet. If enough people will do this the offending businesses will disappear.

flangehead

Stores with shopping carts often provide viable bike racks.





Where I parked just now.

Sorcerer

The only places that have decent bike racks in my town are the library and schools.

Strip malls along stroads obviously invite automobiles with large parking lots and no bike racks.

Grocery stores are notoriously terrible including Trader Joes

Paul Barnard

Is rolling your bike into the store with you an option?

Steve B.

A local (affluent community) commuter rail station had those nice plastic enclosed bike lockers. They went away right after 9/11 when authorities were worried somebody would place a bomb inside. They are now back, a mile away in the poorer community, the enclosed bike lockers were removed as they were being used by the homeless to sleep in. Makes sense, they are waterproof.

Daniel4

These responses highlight the OP's question why there aren't proper bike racks.





So where there are no bike racks, cyclists resort to locking their bikes against trees, fences, railings, stairs, gas meters and other secure objects that get property owners all upset.

Iride01 

In many cities, there are ordinances that control how many parking spaces large businesses must provide. So it may not be unreasonable to also require some sort of requirements for bicycle parking.

I-Like-To-Bike

In over 65 years of often locking my bicycle against various trees, fences, railings, stairs, and other secure objects in various places in the U.S. and Europe, not once has a property owner or anyone else ever indicated to me in any manner that he/she was upset or perturbed at all.

Bald Paul

I'm certain that would deter theft.

Daniel4

Back in 2018, in Toronto, BikeSpace created an app with the support from the city of Toronto for users to take pictures of locations that needed bike racks or repairs of existing bike racks.

I used it once reporting my local strip mall in the suburbs where I get my haircut. Never saw any action done.

I just checked the website where there was a link to the app. It had been discontinued.

work4bike

I like locking my bike to Handicap, No Parking and Reserved Parking signs

I-Like-To-Bike

Perhaps the cyclists of Toronto found enough trees, fences, railings, stairs, and other secure objects to available for locking purpose and found little need for reporting on a "BikeSpace" (whatever that is) app about the need for bike racks at specific locations.

flangehead

Nowhere else available.

Leisesturm

Interesting. As I read the o.p. I did not hear any wish for government overreach in their rant. But you did. And that is why we are #doomed. We know what is the right thing but we don't want enforcement. No enforcement (government) = anarchy. I'm not sure what is so wrong with a little supervision. We need it. We are #doomed without it.

LarrySellerz

As far as bike infrastructure that makes biking more friendly to the public, racks are a total non issue. Just park your bike lol, one of the cool parts of biking compared to cars is ability to post up anywhere.

PaulH

I started cycling only because of the shortage of places to park my car. I can hop on the bike ride to the destination, and find some place to lock it, often not a bike rack, right near the door. Beats circling the block for 15 minutes trying to find a space.

Chuck M 

The OP posted To be a requirement for all businesses, it would have to be an ordinance would it not? At the minimum it would seem that would be zoning at the local level. An ordinance requiring a business that is not going to get patrons using a bike is overreach and abuse of government IMHO. I live in a very bike friendly community and I appreciate the efforts my local government has made to provide clearly marked bike lanes and signage. But if they even discussed an ordinance that it is to be "required to have a good bike rack out in front of all businesses" I would think they need their heads examined. I don't know how the hell you got we are doomed to anarchy out of my opinion.

Daniel4

I thought somebody else posted almost the same thing. It was you.

See posts #6 and #14.