(Photos © J. Maus)
The only thing I like better than prominent bike parking at businesses, is when it also manages to be aesthetically interesting. When bike parking attracts the eye, it not only makes people on bikes feel welcome, it plants the seed for people who didn’t show up by bike to consider doing so next time.
One set of racks that accomplishes this quite well are the new art racks at The Alibi on N. Interstate Avenue. The racks were made by local metal fabricator Matt Cartwright of Cartwright Design (he also did the bike sculptures on the roof of River City Bicycles, among other things).
The Alibi is a Polynesian-themed tiki bar and the new racks are inspired by the Moai figures on Easter Island. For a bit of added flair, someone recently added leis around the necks of the faces…
The Alibi is just one of many local businesses that offers artistic bike parking, which is a big win-win because it serves a functional purpose and adds a marketing flair. If you own a local business and want to install an art rack, the City of Portland has a website and a step-by-step guide for making it happen.