(Photo: Jeff Castro/Bikeracker)
As more people use bicycles to get around our city, more businesses are taking notice and bike parking continues to expand and improve. The PGE Park sports complex and the Whole Foods Market in Laurelhurst are the latest locations to unveil bike parking that goes above and beyond what’s required.
(Photo: Jeff Castro/Bikeracker)
The City of Portland worked with PGE Park on temporary bike parking during Portland Timbers soccer games. PBOT Bicycle Program Specialist Sarah Figliozzi, the woman who’s also in charge of the City’s on-street bike corral program, helped PGE devise a plan for parking around 100 bikes directly in front of the park’s main entrance on SW Morrison. The new bike parking was unveiled back in July and is now in place at all Timbers home games.
PBOT worked with local bike parking provider Bikeracker on the racks and Figliozzi says PGE is considering purchasing their own racks and taking over the management of the bike parking themselves for the 2011 Major League Soccer season. PBOT has no formal event parking program yet, but Figliozzi has published some very helpful information online. The PBOT Event Bicycle Parking page includes the application for street/sidewalk closure permit, bike parking recommendations, and more.
(Photo: Brian Eustis)
Another place in town where some new bike parking will catch your eye is the Whole Foods Market on 28th and E Burnside.
Local designer and metal sculptor Matt Cartwright (he created the bike people on the roof of River City Bicycles, among other things) installed their new, covered racks last week. Whole Foods’ Marketing and Community Relations Specialist Helen Lee says the racks were “eagerly anticipated” and they went in just in time for a special Bike Day event on Saturday. The event featured free bike repair from Citybikes, giveaways from New Belgium Brewing, live music, and more.
The racks themselves were made using mostly recycled materials and the design incorporates a banana, oranges, and a pineapple. Whole Foods made the racks hard to miss by having them painted orange. There are five staples (space for at least 10 bikes) and a roof overhead to keep bikes dry.
It’s great to see these collaborations between the City, businesses, and local artists to make these projects happen, not to mention what they say about respect for people who arrive by bicycle.
— Browse more stories on this topic on our Bike Parking story archive page