“These corrals… are intended to serve the high volume of people arriving by bicycles at these locations.”
— from a PDOT media advisory about new bike parking downtown
The streetscape of downtown Portland has been forever altered.
Thanks to four new on-street bike parking facilities (a.k.a. bike corrals), PDOT has hastened a shift in the balance of roadway space away from motor vehicles and toward the growing number of Portlanders who choose to get around by bike.
After getting my first glimpse of them yesterday, I went out and photographed the three other new corrals this morning.
Below is a photo slideshow I put together that includes descriptions of each facility and more information in the captions (story continues below):
With the completion of these corrals, PDOT is ready for the official unveiling tomorrow. They’ve got a special event planned to coincide with National PARK(ing) Day (9/19) and they’ve invited the media to come out and interview PDOT staff and managers of businesses adjacent to the new facilities.
In a media advisory sent out a few hours ago by PDOT, they explained the new corrals like this:
“The new on-street bicycle parking facilities (a.k.a. bike corrals) will provide parking for 16 to 24 bicycles in two motor vehicle parking spaces. These corrals, joining the 5 existing corrals already in place in Portland, are intended to serve the high volume of people arriving by bicycles at these locations. They also greatly improve the sidewalk environment and reduce the number of bicycles that lock onto signs and railings.”
Also, perhaps to thwart any bike naysayers who think these corrals are just another pet project or backroom deal cut between the “bike lobby” and City Hall, PDOT pointed out that the businesses (Ace Hotel, Stumptown Coffee, Southpark Seafood Grill, Powell’s Books, and Bijou Cafe), “advocated for this increased bicycle parking” and were “integral in the decision to swap the auto parking spaces for bicycle parking.”
And now that the cat is out of the bag, I’m sure we’ll see many more businesses step up.
If you’re downtown tomorrow, stop by any one of the four locations. PDOT has partnered up with the Parks Department and will have trees, benches, and other “park-like” amenities as part of the PARK(ing) day event.
— View more images of the new bike corrals in the On-Street Bike Parking photo gallery.