As we hinted at a few weeks ago, TriMet is set to begin construction of their new Bike & Ride facility at the Sunset Transit Center this month. A statement released yesterday said the project will begin June 21st and the facility is expected to be open for business by end of July.
The new Bike & Ride will have 74 secure bike parking spaces, taking up space formerly used for eight motor vehicles (if you drive, don’t worry, the Sunset Transit Center still has 630 car parking spaces).
Here’s a snip from TriMet:
“With tremendous growth in bicycling in the region, there are limited options for commuters to bring bikes onto the transit system during rush hour. TriMet is following the model of bicycle capitals around the world, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, that rely on bike parking facilities to make the connection to transit work on a reliable basis.”
As contributor Michael Anderson shared last month, the Bike & Ride will have keycard access and security cameras to keep your ride safe from thieves. Keycards will cost $20, which TriMet says should last about 10 weeks.
TriMet planner and resident bike guy Colin Maher was kind enough to send over some construction drawing (below) along with an explanation:
“… there is one row of 2-tier racks, one row of staple racks, a railing for locking “cargo” bikes, an ADA-accessible bike rack, a repair stand/floor pump, and a bike information/map display case. Security cameras, lighting, and electrical not shown.”
TriMet says they chose the Sunset location for this facility because it’s “one of the most popular stations for riders connecting by bike since the West Hills are a barrier to riding downtown.”
The facility was funded through a $1.1 million federal stimulus grant and is part of a larger “regional Bike & Ride system.” TriMet also has plans for a 100-space facility at Beaverton Transit Center and a 30-space facility in Gresham.
I’d rather they made more room on the trains themselves, but neat!
I work out in this area and if this was just a bit closer to work, I would consider doing this. I have to lock my up on a pole.
The worse thing is that this lot fills up quickly (7:30 according to Trimet) and while we are trading 74 bikes for 8 cars, there are still going to be people upset.
I agree with MC, Sunset really needs more park ‘n rides for cars & I bet 74 wont be enough for bikes either. I wish Trimet pushed park n rides more on the west side, especially with all the bus cutbacks. It kills me that Beaverton TC has all that empty land beside it, perfect place for a large park/bike n ride.
Also, the Copenhagen model works because there are bike lockers at both ends, suburbs and downtown. Are there going to be large bike lockers on the other side of the west hills at Goose Hollow or PGE park? Or coming from the other direction lockers at the Rose Quarter or somewhere around there?
In the dense core of Portland, I am willing to be on foot and in the frequent buses and trains. But I prefer my bike on the suburban end of my trip, because the bus runs so seldom there, and the MAX station is not within quick walking distance of most residences and employers.
So I think Sunset’s a good place for this kind of facility. Downtown stations don’t need them so much.
For those who might complain about bike parking…the economic model of FREE driver parking for cars at P+R facilities makes less sense …this is a very large subsidy for drivers driven much by FTA funding requirements, etc.
Just do the math… if the structured space costs $20,000 … one could give the single driver using the space for long term daily parking – 21+ years of bus passes (retail cost: $946 for an adult all zone pass for 1 year). This does not attempt to include operation and maintenance costs nor land value, etc. If you were to add a low annual cost of O&M of $500 per stall over 20 years… this becomes 10+ years of free transit passes. So 31+ years of free rides.
I guess the suburban transit P+R stalls for cars are the new fareless square.
http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf
For discussion purposes…at best P+R facilities are a form of land banking for transit agencies…if they utilize the facility for over 20 years or so then they can petition to the FTA to redevelop it or sell it…if it is no longer needed or used.
This is awesome – can we also get one on the east side of the hills for all the commuters from the east side to Beaverton/Hillsboro?
I agree Matthew (#1), more space on the trains would be nice. But with demand for bike space on the trains growing exponentially, this problem will only get worse o matter how many spaces Trimet were to add (taking out 2-3 passenger seats per bike hook as I understand it). I’m glad to see them looking at the demand side and trying to make it more attractive for folks to park their bike at a station and walk on.
Echoing Andrew and Matt Picio (#3, #6), this is great for people who work on the west side and commute into downtown. But those of us who live on the east side and work in Beaverton really need a facility like this somewhere near Goose Hollow.
Personally, I ride from SE Portland and work very close to a westside Max station. I would GLADLY walk on if I had a safe place to leave my bike near Goose Hollow or Kings Hill. As it is, I now frequently miss morning trains to Beaverton because the bike spaces are filled (partly because in my experience fare inspectors are strictly enforcing 2 bikes per end on the low floor cars, but that’s another topic).
Oops, I meant “great for people who LIVE on the west side and commute into downtown.”
Went to the Grand Opening… photos are up on Flickr…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ufobike/sets/72157624486430099/