City issues bike parking code violation to Jantzen Beach Home Depot

depot-todd

Not going to cut it.
(Photo: Todd Boulanger)

Last week we shared the unfortunate story of new bike parking at the U.S. Bancorp Tower. It’s unfortunate because — despite a brand new, million dollar plaza renovation — whoever installed the bike racks got it completely wrong (we’re still waiting to hear back from the architecture firm that led the project).

That story had us checking the City of Portland code to see if the new Bancorp Tower racks were in compliance (they appear to violate at least one Administrative Rule). On a similar note, a few weeks back we heard from reader and former City of Vancouver (WA) transportation planner Todd Boulanger. Boulanger cc’d us on an email to Sarah Figliozzi, a bicycle program specialist at PBOT.

His emailed contained that photo above and this message:

“This is one of the examples of bike parking in a commercial zone changing for the worst over time. This is the Home Depot at Jantzen Beach. They used to have a crappy wave rack, but they removed it for an outdoor display. There was no rack for a long time then this wheel bender toast rack appeared… This commercial area’s management group [it’s a big box shopping center] also removed all of the bike lockers and put up wave racks a couple of years ago.”

Examples of UNacceptable bicyle parking with X

“Examples of generally UNACCEPTABLE Bicycle Rack Types” says PBOT.

Turns out that “wheel bender toast rack” is considered by PBOT to be “generally UNACCEPTABLE” as per their published guidelines. And “wave racks” don’t meet city code due to the 2-foot by 6-foot spatial requirement.

Figliozzi reported Boulanger’s concern to the Portland Bureau of Development Services (who deals with commercial permitting). Turns out, anyone can report a potential code violation by calling (503) 823-CODE (2633) or by using the BDS online form.

Advertisement

In the case of Home Depot, BDS inspectors checked to see when the building was constructed and/or significantly remodeled (above $148,700 in total project costs). Those dates would determine what they are required to include as per city bike parking guidelines.

About one month later, Figliozzi emailed Boulanger with news that BDS inspectors indeed found Home Depot in violation of Portland’s bike parking requirements. The company was given notice of the violation and Figliozzi says they’ll now be required to bring their short-term parking up to current standards. And a “wheel bender toast rack” is not sufficient.

Here’s Figliozzi, explaining Home Depot’s violation and what they must do to fix it:

“The permit for this Home Depot goes back to 1995 – that means the requirement at that time likely did not even distinguish between short or long term bicycle parking. However since they had removed the rack they are in violation of the permit. In order to correct the violation they must, within 30 days, obtain a zoning permit to replace the rack or obtain an approved adjustment review (if they are requesting to not meet code). They will incur a fee if they do not correct the violation within the allotted time.”

Let’s review what we’ve learned so far:

  • Add 823-CODE to your volunteer activist speed-dial (or use the online form) and let BDS know when you suspect a business is in violation of bike parking rules.
  • The year to remember is 1998. Prior to that, Portland had a much lower standard for bike parking and building owners can get grandfathered in (unless they did a major renovation that triggered a new permit).
  • Not all use of racks on the city’s “unacceptable” list will result in a violation. Any racks installed on-site, above and beyond the requirements of the permit, do not need to meet city standards.

The bigger picture here is to make sure City of Portland bike parking policy is always getting tougher and better. That’s why we hosted a Wonk Night focused on that topic last fall.

It’s neat to see the city working like this. Of course it took a smart and connected member of the public to trigger the action, but at least we have these reporting tools at our disposal.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

Thanks for reading.

BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.

Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

76 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JJJJ
JJJJ
9 years ago

A lot of people love to complain about how Portland has fallen behind in bike stuff….but I cant think of a single other city that would respond to a concern about lackluster bike parking at a commercial site, never find ask the store to make changes.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  JJJJ

And a store where a large percentage of the clientele comes in pickup trucks.

Paul Cone
Paul Cone
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

People come to IKEA with pickup trucks, too, but they do a much better job of incentivizing people to come by bike (or MAX).

Adron @ Transit Sleuth
Reply to  Paul Cone

I’d love to see IKEA here in Portland actually provide the cargo bike service they do at other locations. That would be proper epic and super in line with the spirit that Portland portrays. I wonder how we could help motivate the store leadership to get this service for us here in PDX? I’d honestly buy a whole bunch of new furniture from them – I’d do it just to use the cargo bike service and just deliver some people some furniture. Who’s game? 😉

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

Yes lots of PU trucks in the lot…but for me its easier to bike to HD if my local ACE does not have something I can easily carry…since the Interstate Bridge (remember that one?) is often gridlocked with northbound traffic on the weekends. (I am not sure where all those Oregon license plates are going…Seahawks games, pot, hiking, Seattle?)

Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

Yes Ted! I think most of it is to buy Pot. You notice that the crash and fatality rates have spiked this year in Oregon. It may not be a spike but a general trend.

Alan Love
Alan Love
9 years ago
Reply to  JJJJ

I love to complain about things, but I agree with you on this one. If the Oregonian needs a clickbait story to get readers angry about the whiny “All Powerful Bicycle Lobby”, this would be it. Contacting the store as a potential customer and informing them of your inability to spend money with them might be a better way of going about it.

JJJJ
JJJJ
9 years ago
Reply to  Alan Love

Contacting the store doesnt really work, at least in my experience. A couple of years ago, I California, I asked 6 different stores (all major chains) to provide bike parking. 5 didnt ever get back to me (and never did). Lowes did reply and said “the city doesnt allow it” which was obviously complete BS as the city has a program where they encourage (but dont require) bike parking. I confirmed with the city that theyd never not allow bike parking. But again, the city only goes as far as “encouraging” bike parking, not requiring it, because that would infringe on the freedom of the retailer or something. Now, car parking requirements? Those were passed down from God.

Stanley
Stanley
9 years ago
Reply to  JJJJ

The City of Santa Cruz did it when a CVS Pharmacy bike rack was neglected and dilapidated. Now there’s a row of new bike racks of the acceptable type. There may be lots of unsung heroes among our local governments.

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago

I am going to use this new information to ask BDS to check in on the bike parking added for the recent construction of the Jantzen Beach retail section along the North Parker Ave north of the exiting Burlington Coat Factory, the new units (such as West Marine, etc.) added wave racks this summer/ fall.

In the last four years only Target and Office Depot (now closed) added bike racking off of the City’s “approved” list. All the rest used wave racks.

(Yes the devil is in the details, when the developments were approved and the status of the bike parking regs at that time.)

Paul Cone
Paul Cone
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

I can’t help but wonder why the city doesn’t outright ban the wave racks, especially if they are being used to meet a code requirement. We ban leafblowers if they’re too loud, and all sorts of other things.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  Paul Cone

Why are the wave racks so bad? If they’re far enough away from a wall they serve a pretty similar capacity to staples.

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

Why? Because one person can lock their bike up and block 3/4 or more of the other spaces with a single bike. At the new Walmart in Sherwood a cyclist with a trailer was able to block 11 spaces for other bikes. The racks were full by the time he left (not including the extra motorcycle).

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
9 years ago
Reply to  K'Tesh

And yes, I did complain to management.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  K'Tesh

Does this happen all that often in Portland though? I see/use wave racks a few times a week, and the vast majority of people see to know how to use them without taking up all the space.

Emily
Emily
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

I was lucky to get an “end” space at one of the wave racks provided in the parking garage for my building this morning. The mid-tail Kinn I am currently riding (to be able to pick up kids and shuttle them from one place to another to home) has integrated lighting (yay) which gets knocked around in the middle of a wave rack (boo). That and trying to squeeze in next to straight handlebars gets difficult. I don’t want to knock around someone else’s bike, just as I don’t want the knocking around mine. With the dry weather it has been crowded (which means about 6-8 bikes at each rack, there are two easily accessible). Summer could be interesting.

Reza
Reza
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

Even if you park your bike “correctly” at a wave rack, the odds are high that somebody won’t be able to park next to you because there is not enough room.

In short, they’re a very inefficient design.

Shawn
Shawn
9 years ago

What is the “approved” bike rack type? I see all the examples of what’s not allowed…but nothing showing what is.

Aaron
Aaron
9 years ago
Reply to  Shawn

I too would like to see examples of good bike racks.

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
9 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

follow the “published guidelines” link in the article and from on to https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/481836 – “Handbook of Approved Bicycle Racks”

daisy
daisy
9 years ago

Can you explain in layperson’s terms why wave racks aren’t okay? Is it because there’s not enough room in between the Us?

Also I love when businesses incorporate a fun, relevant design into their bike racks, so it’s disappointing to hear those often don’t meet regulations.

el timito
el timito
9 years ago
Reply to  daisy

Wave racks have at least 2 problems:
– When used as designed the bike does not have “2 points of contact,” meaning when you lean the bike against the rack and reach for your lock the bike will tend to fall over. Leaning a bike on a staple rack is more secure – fewer bashed bike bits.
– A wave rack offers less capacity than manufacturers suggest – generally you can only use the “down-trough” of the wave, unless you have a really small bike that can fit under the “up-wave.” Even if you have a small bike, it’s hard to fit lock in that part of the rack if there are bikes on either side.

Developers seem to like wave racks for the advertised capacity, plus only two footings to bolt down.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  el timito

If you lock up your rear wheel by going through the rear triangle a wave rack works pretty much exactly like a staple though. You can have people do this in opposite directions on each vertical tube of the rack. This also will hold your bike up (and the lock will keep it up).

Jessica Roberts
Jessica Roberts
9 years ago
Reply to  daisy

A good bike rack provides two points of contact to hold up the bike, allows you to lock the frame and the wheel with a U-lock, works for all types of bikes, and organizes bicycles so they do not block the pedestrian space. Toast racks don’t allow for the frame to be locked, and don’t have 2 points of contact. Ribbon racks don’t have 2 points of contact and often end up blocking pedestrian space.

Scott Kocher
9 years ago

Asking for bike parking doesn’t work. Answer is: (1) it’s private property and/or grandfathered so there’s “no requirement,” or (2) even in the furniture zone (public property intended for such a use) the City won’t install a staple unless both the property owner and tenant/business approve it. And, it’s up to you to get those approvals (good luck!). Maybe I’m missing something, but grr…

Scott Kocher
9 years ago
Reply to  Scott Kocher

I felt guilty about grumbling without offering anything constructive or at least informative. So… I emailed Scott Cohen at PBOT to clarify their process and got a helpful (and quick) response from him which I will attempt to summarize: When citizens request a staple in the furniture zone Scott C. does follow up, such as talking with the manager of a business at the location. If the business doesn’t respond, the rack may not happen. PBOT procedures are to ensure property owners/tenants don’t object, which is related to the fact that property owners are required to maintain the area where the bicycle racks will be installed. Scott C. manages all of the requests, maintenance issues, and coordinates installs for every bike rack in the city (!). So, he asks people requesting racks to help with the leg work.

shuppatsu
shuppatsu
9 years ago

I get that businesses have to follow code, but the code doesn’t make any sense. The number of required bike spaces is based on square footage, but almost no one bikes to the big box stores with the highest square footage. So it ends up just being wasted space, which translates to wasted money.

I’m the exception. I use any excuse to get on my bike, so I’ve bought pipe, plastic tubs, tools etc. from that Jantzen Beach Home Depot back when it didn’t have a rack. I locked it to a railing used to contain shopping carts. It was not a problem.

I’ve also bought and returned furniture by bike (ok; just chairs) from Ikea. Their’s is the opposite. They have nice racks with room for probably 30 bikes.

At both places, I have not seen any other bikes while parking.

And it’s not for lack of cycling infrastructure. Cycling to and from both Jantzen Beach and Cascade is really easy, safe, and actually fun. I always enjoy the Delta Park/I-5 interchange and tunnel going to Jantzen Beach in particular.

Kyle
Kyle
9 years ago
Reply to  shuppatsu

I’m planning on visiting IKEA via bike myself in the near future! It sure beats fighting for lanes and parking with dozens of angry drivers. 🙂

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago

Thanks, Todd (& Sarah) for bringing this to their attention. Not only will it result (likely) in improved functionality of the Jantzen Beach HD bike parking, but in improved functionality of any bike rack installations done by HD or their subcontractors in the future.

Ted Buehler

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago

On a side note, there are work-arounds at this particular location. So don’t be shy about shopping by bike at Janzten Beach HD even if the wheelbender racks remain in place for a while.

1) I don’t recall locking to that rack, but when I do hitch up to wheel bender racks, I park my bike parallel to it, like a long staple. Would be fine for this location, since I doubt that rack fills up much at present.

2) Jantzen Beach HD staff have always been welcoming of me bringing my bike inside and leaving it by the cash registers.

3) Staff also support me and others bringing our bikes in the store, and using the bike or bike + trailer as our personal shopping cart.

&, for the record, if you want to bring home a stack of sheetrock or plywood to inner NE (& its not something in stock at Parr Lumber or Mr. Plywood), it takes only a little more time to ride up there on a bike with a trailer, load up a couple hundred pounds of plywood, and to ride back than it does to do the same with a car. I’ve tried it both ways. Cars loose time because it takes so time to strap it on the roof, and potentially get stuck in traffic along the way, occasionally gas up and get stuff off the roof unloading at the destination. Bikes gain time because you can load it directly onto your trailer in the store (no transloading out front), no traffic, and fueling my bike is always a pleasure. Just FYI…

Long story short, bike rack choice notwithstanding, I’ve found the Jantzen Beach HD to be very bike-friendly.

Ted Buehler

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago
Reply to  Ted Buehler

Yes, I agree…the HD staff always allowed me to park inside next to the returns register when HD was without a rack. They were very helpful.

I originally brought this issue up to the CoP since HDs new rack was a step backwards vs. the wave rack they used to have but took out for either the propane vending unit or the display case.

9watts
9watts
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

I’m chagrined to learn that you cool bikey people shop at Home Depot. What happened to supporting your local businesses? I’m having a really hard time imagining Mr. Plywood, Parr Lumber, or Brown Lumber on Powell not having that sheet rock or plywood you want. I suppose if the HD were much closer to you than those other stores… but aren’t they typically on the outskirts of town, far from where people actually live?

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

9watts — 5/8″ tongue and groove.

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

9watts — you are correct, I’m not a fan of Home Depot. Normally I shop at

Hankins True Value Hardware
Parr Lumber
Mr. Plywood
Platt Electrical
North Coast Electrical
Knez Sheetrock
Another Sheetrock place near 10th and Market
Mason Supply
Another masonry place in Lents
Consolidated plumbing
A-Boy plumbing
Miller Paint (employee owned)
Hippo Hardware
Green building store (SE 8th and Salmon)
Charles Day tools.
Harbor Freight (not locally owned)
A metal stud place at 60th and Columbia

And, of course,
The Rebuilding Center

Once in a while I end up at HD or Lowes for something I can’t find anywhere else.

Most of these are owner-operator, others are owner franchises, others are regional chains. Portland is an absolute delight when it comes to procuring home building supplies from locally owned businesses.

Ted Buehler

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

“but aren’t they typically on the outskirts of town, far from where people actually live?”

Spoken like someone who doesn’t venture out of inner Portland very often.

And the places you listed are cool if you want lumber, but things like electrical and plumbing are a little harder to come by at the local lumber yard. I try to go to Woodstock Ace and 82nd Hardware as much as I can, but they are only so big and don’t stock a lot of things that I need. HD is about 1.5 miles away (about the same as the other two stores).

9watts
9watts
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

“Spoken like someone who doesn’t venture out of inner Portland very often.”

Hey, wait a minute! Why would I go further afield if I can get what I need at The Rebuilding Center, dumpsters, Division Hardware, Brown Lumber and the other small businesses sprinkled throughout the inner SE? Have you tried pulling ten sheets of 5/8″ sheetrock by bike? On a bike pulling a trailer I’m sure as heck only going as far as I need to.

I appreciate all the responses about shopping local vs. Home Depot. Good discussion.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Yes, and for MANY people in Portland HD’s are actually pretty close.

shuppatsu
shuppatsu
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Ooh, a fun topic, albeit one where discussion is unlikely to change anyone’s mind.

Speaking only for myself, I don’t think local businesses have any moral claim over me. I believe that free trade is the engine of capitalism, and that capitalism is the least worst economic system. I’m not worried that a corporation based in Atlanta gets some share of the profits, because in a free market, what goes around comes around.

I am very glad that people outside of the Portland metropolitan area buy Nike and Columbia products, and shudder to think what Portland might be like without them.

I don’t see a reason to privilege stores over other businesses. Stores function primarily as distributors brokers, and curators. They are middlepeople. Generally, I like my middlepeople to be as efficient and transparent as possible. Currently the distribution and brokerage functions benefit tremendously from economies of scale, and curation can often be substituted with selection. That efficiency is passed on at least in part to the consumer, who benefits from an incredible selection of goods for a very low price.

I know this is all very pollyanna-ish, and in reality there are winners and losers, and exploitation, and so on. Hence my invocation of the common “least worst” description of capitalism. It’s not perfect, but IMHO it’s the best we’ve got.

I also shop at Amazon, which is far worse from a putting money-back-into-the-community standpoint.

I also shop locally. I bought wood for my deck at Parr. I go to Parkrose Hardware a lot more than I go to Home Depot (I don’t know if that counts as local, since they are part of the Ace Hardware co-op). I use those places not because they are local, but because their expertise and selection frequently make them a better use of my time and money.

While I don’t care much for supporting local businesses for its own sake, I don’t like the kind of city planning that caters to big box shopping. Like most everyone here, I’m not a fan of sprawl. For me, this is the strongest argument for supporting smaller (not necessarily local) businesses. I’m still sorting that one out in my head.

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago
Reply to  shuppatsu

shupp, all more or less valid. I prefer to shop at local building supply stores because:
* knowledgeable staff
* closer to my home
* better quality stuff
* ma and pa feel, rather than big box

Some ethical, some directing my $ in business I like to see thrive, some personal preference.

& ParkRose Hardware counts as locally owned — as I understand that Ace hardwares are locally owned franchises. Same as True Value Hardwares, Grocery Outlets, and likely any number of other chain stores. With franchises, the buildings look different from each other, I as a customer am not paying for a waxed corporate sheen, and I often end up meeting the actual owner.

Along these lines, I’ve heard that Ace has a new franchise opening up on NE Broadway and 2nd — between MLK in Williams, in a former car dealer building or some other 1930s era building. I’m glad to see locally owned “big box esque” hardware stores opening in these parts, rather than Inner SE Home Depot proposal that kept getting floated around in the mid 2000s.

Compare this to the new Orchard Supply Hardware in the former Hollywood Bowling Alley. It has had distant corporate ownership for the last many decades of its life — was owned by Sears for a decade or two, spun off, went bankrupt, now owned by Lowes, as I understand. Don’t expect them to keep their profits local, or to not overspend on appearances and underspend on staff training.

Ted Buehler

Robert L
Robert L
9 years ago

This is the exact reason I go to the Mall 205 Home Depot vs. Johnson Creek. The Mall 205 location has a bike rack (ok, I guess it is technically in front of Performance Bikes).
The Johnson Creek Home Depot on the other hand I’m stuck locking to the cart corrals out in the parking lot. That’s fine it works but it is a bit of a pain to unhook the trailer and carry it over/onto the vegetation on the island to lock up.

Blake
Blake
9 years ago

What about stores with no bike parking like many of the Plaid Pantrys. For example, there is no bike parking at all at their store at N Denver and N Killingsworth or at N Lombard and N Greeley. Would they be required to install it? I know they have put it in at some stores but it is real pain they don’t have it at all of them.

stasia:)
9 years ago
Reply to  Blake

Or the Laughing Planet in Goose Hollow. It’s crazy that they advertise free bike delivery downtown and yet have nowhere to park your bike if you bike there to pick up your own darn food.

Granpa
Granpa
9 years ago

At the Clackamas Home Depot I have, several times, locked to the orange lockers where tanks of propane are kept. Now they have a wheel bender, but I just park sidewise to it. I have never had to share it at that particularly auto-centric establishment. Like a lot of issues this blog takes exception with, I work around the problems and make do. Conditions are lots better than they were 40 years ago.

kenny
kenny
9 years ago

Anyone experienced the rack at Bi Mart on Woodstock? Oh. My.

Spiffy
Spiffy
9 years ago
Reply to  kenny

often… I only park on the ends… where you’ll get run into by a car door or a shopping cart depending on which side you choose…

Mike Quiglery
Mike Quiglery
9 years ago

Home Depot is a right wing organization that contributes heavily to extreme right wing causes and candidates. Maybe that’s why they don’t pay that much attention to bicycles?

Cheif
Cheif
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike Quiglery

No kidding.
Politics aside I couldn’t go to my local home depot if I wanted to as there is no bike parking whatsoever. The only option is to leave the property and either lock up to a street sign or the parking lot fence.

Christopher Sanderson
9 years ago
Reply to  Cheif

I don’t go to Home Depot that much, but when I have to, I go to the Mall 205 store, and I find that their parking for bikes is non-existant. I find myself locking my bike and trailer to one of their big orange carts. It pretty much a sucky experience.

9watts
9watts
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike Quiglery

Interesting. I didn’t know that. One more reasons to avoid them like the plague.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  9watts

It’s got to be true! They posted it on an internet message board with no sources.

Here’s a great one!:
http://mrconservative.com/2014/11/52113-home-depot-turns-their-back-on-christians-promotes-homosexual-culture/

http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html?t=10513525#page:showThread,10513525

I’m not saying Home Depot is a the greatest company or even not conservative, but there are two sides to every story.

was carless
was carless
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike Quiglery

That may be true (and I don’t shop there), but the beauty if city codes is that you can force compliance regarding certain things that benefit everyone on such things as fire and life safety, building codes, and now bike racks.

Anne
Anne
9 years ago

I remember the lockers. I was new to the area and thought them very kewl.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago

Are the racks people are complaining about maxed out on capacity? Even in the picture above, I still see at least 2 spots to safely lock your bike (on the ends). I don’t get complaining about racks that already are being underutilized. Outside of a few neighborhoods in the city is bike parking really that hard to find?

Spiffy
Spiffy
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

if they locked to the end then somebody could unbolt the rack and steal the bike… the rack isn’t welded together, and the bolts aren’t tamper-resistant…

the best method is to lock along the entire back of the rack, so that if they unbolt that section they have to take the entire 10′ section with them…

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

In most of the racks pictured above though, removing the bolts on the ground wouldn’t allow the bike to be removed (even on the HD rack in question, as there is still another bar attached to the vertical bars). Some of the wave racks pictured are also cemented right into the ground. I think the likelihood of the rack being removed like that is just as high on a staple rack (maybe even more so as the staple is so much lighter and smaller (less hassle for a thief). And we all know there are plenty of staple racks with non-tamper-resistant bolts as well.

Dwaine Dibbly
Dwaine Dibbly
9 years ago

I love the enforcement action and hope it is the start of a renewed effort by the City. Is there a number to call to report bad racks?

“Wheel bender toast racks” are only good for having in your locked garage to store your personal bike collection. It’s easy to weld one up using bed frames, which you can get for next to nothing at garage sales. (Buy a new bed & most places include a metal frame, so people have leftovers that are difficult to dispose of. I have paid $0 to $5, never more.)

I’ll only lock to one of these in public if I can get up against the end of the rack, where I can U-lock my frame & wheels.

Gary Obery
Gary Obery
9 years ago

I recently finished out my basement. It was one of those projects where besides the wall studs and the sheet rock, most supplies fit in my bike basket. I’m sure that more than half my trips to the Salem Home Depot were on my bike. Way too many trips to pick up the one thing I forgot in my previous trip. I would be willing to bet that more than half the do-it-yourselfers filing out of Home Depot or any other hardware store could fit all of their stuff in a decent basket or pannier. If I drove a huge Chevy truck to HD, though, I might get away without shaving for a week. 😉

Mike
Mike
9 years ago

Oh my god it’s just a bike rack. Sounds like someone decided to drop the dime because it wasn’t an “approved” rack.” Where I come from that person would be called a rat. Portland…too sensitive, too narcissistic, too my way or the highway, too concerned with what someone else is doing and wayyyyyy to concerned about a stupid bike rack. Toughen up PDX.

oliver
oliver
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Have you checked the noise level of the whining when someone suggests removing 1 or 2 automobile parking spaces?

Imaging if there were none at all.

oliver
oliver
9 years ago
Reply to  oliver

imagine….imagine…

Dan
Dan
9 years ago
Reply to  oliver

You can put 10 enclosed bike lockers in the footprint of one parking space.

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Mike – anytime you want to chat and get a beer let me know.

kittens
kittens
9 years ago

Home Depot sucks, but when I must go, I just bring the bike into the store. They don’t care

Lizzy
Lizzy
9 years ago

Same problem with Earth Fare. The openings in the rack fit 26″ wheels but not 700c, the most common size. I ended up hitching my bike to their railing out front.

Lizzy
Lizzy
9 years ago

Come to think of it, Earth Fair and Sonic may have similar bike racks. I should check on the codes, if any, in my area.

SW
SW
9 years ago

Bi-Mart’s seems to have no racks at all
WalMart (82nd) the racks are so far from the front door, that I just chain to a pole. But the pole base (abt 3 feet high) is so thick that the U lock won’t work.
Even Bike Gallery (82nd) had no rack last time I was there.

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
9 years ago

Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee yet, but would it work if bike racks featured a couple feet of case-hardened chain for each spot? Then all one would need to lock up is an ordinary padlock. Hmm…

Andyc of Linnton
Andyc of Linnton
9 years ago

Thanks for highlighting this resource. I have a couple places in mind if I don’t hear back from the businesses themselves. Good to know there is this tool as well.

Pete
Pete
9 years ago

Ironically, there are no bike racks at the two nearest bike shops to my house. This may not be all about a company’s value system after all, but maybe a lapse in process by the planners/inspectors on duty, maybe?

JV
JV
9 years ago

Yes! One of the coolest things about IKEA in Europe is the super cheap cargo bike rental and the proximity of IKEA to mass transit. It was a common sight to see people bringing home relatively large pieces of furniture home on the train on the weekends. And of course there were also a bunch of “man with a van” types hanging outside IKEA to taxi people’s goods home.

IKEA should totally get cargo bikes going in Portland !

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago
Reply to  JV

Yes IKEA, there was great hope in how the first IKEA in Portland would have “Dutch level” of bike parking and bike services once it came here. I was on the tour with BTA and PDoT staff in 2005 during our visit to the Groningen NL IKEA tour as part of Councilman Adams fact finding visit to the Netherlands for bicycling best practices. The actual bike parking once installed at the IKEA Portland was depressing compared to what was discussed. (Though not as bad as the City Target bike parking.)

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

IKEA parking may not be Dutch standards, but it’s some of the best I’ve seen in metro Portland. Roll right up to the front door, big covered, sheltered bike parking area, plenty of space for cargo trailers, highly visible from the interior lobby so nobody is going to swipe your lights or paw through your panniers.

Biking to IKEA — underrated.

Out of curiosity, what does Dutch level have that the PDX IKEA doesn’t?

Ted Buehler
Ted Buehler
9 years ago

&, FWIW, I’ve been hauling building supplies by bike in Portland since 2010.

Pics of building supplies and other bulky stuff at https://www.facebook.com/ted.buehler/media_set?set=a.476871205984.262897.699765984&type=3

Pic of a load of styrofoam and corrugated steel outside the Delta Park Lowes
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152772948605985&set=a.476871205984.262897.699765984

(Though I don’t seem to have any pics of loading up the trailer like a shopping cart inside Lowes or Home Depot.)

& on the subject of requesting Bike Staples — the Interstate and Mason Harbor Freight store didn’t have any bike parking, I sent in a request to safe@portlandoregon.gov and within a few months PBOT had one installed. Here it is. Thanks Scott!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151918662135985&set=a.476871205984.262897.699765984

& here’s a few of another trailer outside another Home Depot (in Provo, UT, where, sadly, all the local hardware and lumber suppliers have long since gone out of business, and HD is the only game in town).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151663467530985&set=a.10151663465395985.1073741825.699765984

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151679569815985&set=a.10151663465395985.1073741825.699765984

Ted Buehler

Sho
Sho
9 years ago

You’re assuming in all these cases (bancorp over home depot in this case) that they haven’t already provided the required number of racks and those non-compliant ones aren’t actually required to even be there.

Dan Packard
Dan Packard
9 years ago

I brought the issue up of non-secure bike parking with the Jantzen Beach Home Depot a couple of times over the past six months with managers there. Glad to know about the Portland code enforcement option too.

The Safeway store at Jantzen Beach is another problem location with an ancient outdated ground rack that you can only get one tire locked to. Thanks Todd for helping move these companies into the 21st century.