(Photo by Eric Iverson)
Our bike parking coverage is sponsored by Huntco, a Portland-based maker and seller of bike racks and other industrial furnishings.
Portlanders who bike have granted the wish of a local business.
Base Camp Brewing now has a shiny new on-street bike corral in front of its brewpub on SE Oak and has become the latest example of bikenomics and bike-oriented development in Portland.
Last month the co-founder of the brewery, Ross Putnam, said he’d personally buy a pint for everyone who showed up by bike. It wasn’t a random promotional stunt, it was done specifically to demonstrate demand for bike parking.
Like hundreds of other Portland businesses, Putnam had done the math and realized having more bike parking would mean more — and happier — customers. He asked the Portland Bureau of Transportation if he could swap two auto parking spaces for 18 bike parking spaces. Yes, the city said, but he’d have to prove the demand was there by sharing photos of bikes parked on the sidewalk and to non-sanctioned structures like trees and traffic poles.
It worked.
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(Photo by Ross Putnam)
Over 50 people answered the call and the sidewalk outside Base Camp was jam-packed with bikes. And PBOT responded quickly as well. 13 days after his beer-for-biking Facebook post the city began installing the new corral.
“We are so psyched the corral was installed just in time for summer!” Putnam shared with us this morning. “It is in a great location for folks to kick back on the patio, enjoy a beer and be able to keep a close eye on their bikes.”
Putnam says parking space is at a premium in inner southeast these days. He’s grateful for PBOT’s quick response and says it’s likely he’ll need even more bike parking in the future.
Nice work team! Now… Any other business out there want a bike corral?
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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So seeing that (q last night. It got me wondering what the stink was all about after seeing it (quite full) last night.
AHEM.
So anyway, it wasn’t my imagination when I saw it last night (and quite full, too). It got me wondering what the stink was about before, but I guess it was just that new.
It was so great to roll up last night and see it nearly maxed out!
Good for them. Looks like a much more efficient use of the space.
Great news. Great beer. I am happy to see that businesses are starting to catch on that bike parking nearby where we are hanging out is important to us. I don’t want my bike locked to a sign or tree a block away.
Makes the intersection safer too. Better visibility.
bikenomics
…it makes cents.
Nice! I’ve been avoiding Base Camp due to the lack of bike parking. Going to have to make a go of it soon.
I was so excited to see this when I rolled over there last night! Such a better use of space! 2 cars or 20 bikes….mmmhmmmm
A hidden gem in the project is there is a gap on the East end of the corral outside of the curb. Last night I saw a scooter parked there! Looked like there was room for one MAYBE two more scooters/motorbikes without obstructing the driveway.
Something, something, war on cars, social engineering, something.
With that out of the way, well done! Looks great, I hope I make it down there soon to use it.
Hi Jonathan and others,
Not a business owner here in need of a bike corral but this post reminded me that the owner of one of the business on NE 7th Ave seems to be wary about the possibility of making the street a greenway because customers allegedly come there by car, so a greenway would mean less business.
I was wondering whether people want to chime in with good references / examples that might help the business owner change his/her mind. It seems to me that the business could benefit from the bike boom by putting a bike corral in front of the store but this is probably not something obvious to the owner.
Thanks!
Depends on what they sell. A furniture or appliance store on a greenway might need to keep a cargo bike and/or long trailer available for use. Is it bigger than a bikeytown basket?
Furniture and appliance stores deliver, don’t they?
does the 2 hour limit apply to bike parking as well ;p
I parked my bike there last night. I was pleasantly surprised to see it there. Yay!
Do they ever put a rain cover over those corals? I always prefer finding parking out of the rain.