Words and photos by first-time contributor Alison Grover, who’s been biking in Oregon since 2017.
It’s a chilly December evening in the Buckman neighborhood of Portland. I’m sipping tea while scrolling on my phone. It’s warm and toasty in the comfort of my home, but outside, the sun has set and the wind is whipping. Then comes a familiar question. What should we do for dinner? And should we bike or drive there?
It’s so hard to motivate on these cold nights, but I remind myself: I love the freedom and social quality of biking. I love not having to search for (car) parking. I love reducing my carbon footprint. And knowing that my destination has a secure, accessible place to lock my bike seals the deal and gives me an added peace of mind. I am more eager to patronize businesses that go the extra mile to accommodate bikers. And many times, secure bike parking is the deciding factor between biking or driving.
With that in mind, let’s take a tour of my favorite bike parking in southeast Portland. This is not an exhaustive list. And it’s slightly Buckman-centric. But all of these places give me the sense of safety and security that I look for in quality bike parking.
One more thing before our tour starts…
Here are the important qualities I consider when choosing where to lock my bike: rain shelter, lighting, proximity to building entrances, rack spacing, rack quantity, and the style and heft of the rack itself. On top of those, I also value separation from vehicle traffic and proximity to people. I want bike racks to be separated from speeding cars so that I can finagle my U-lock and cables in peace. And I want my bike to be safely in view of window shoppers, outdoor dining folks, and shop employees, whose sole presence can deter theft. The more eyes on my bike, the better.
Great Separation from Drivers
When I’m locking up my bike, I’m always fumbling with my U-lock and cable and dropping my keys. It’s a scramble! I prefer to spend this chaotic time up on the sidewalk, as far away from speeding car traffic as possible. I like when bike parking is located on a quiet side street rather than directly on a main thoroughfare. Well-sited bike racks can increase cyclist perceptions of safety while decreasing stress.
Bike corrals at Hinterland Food Carts (SE Sherman St & SE 50th Ave) and Oma’s Hideaway (SE Division St & SE 32nd Ave) are both integrated into the sidewalk. It feels safe to be elevated above street level.
The Zed Food Court (SE Reedway St. & SE 92nd Ave), which is next door to Zoiglhaus Brewing, has gone a step further than putting bike corrals on the sidewalk. Bike racks are placed within a pleasant outdoor dining zone, well away from street traffic. Similarly, the Bollywood Theater (SE Division St. & SE 30th Ave) provides an artistic metal bike rack onsite, inboard of the sidewalk, fully separated from the street.
Although the bike racks at Cartopia Food Carts (SE Hawthorne Blvd. & SE 12th Ave) are old and bent, I appreciate that they are situated up on the sidewalk and protected from the busy intersection by a bollard-buffered bike lane at street level. I would feel even safer when locking my bike here if these racks were made of a thicker metal material. Portland Community College Southeast campus (SE Division St & SE 82nd Ave) has integrated a cluster of bike racks and even some bike lockers into the pedestrian-oriented center of campus. (More on those racks in this 2022 BikePortland post.)
Great Proximity to People
I prefer to park my bike in view of people. Whether they are people working in stores with a clear view through the window, people eating outdoors at a cafe, or passersby on the sidewalk, their attention can help deter bike theft from happening in the first place. Here, visibility functions as a front-end security measure, whereas a strong, secure bike rack and bike lock function as the last line of defense, preventing an attempted theft from being successful. Using a combination of both will ensure that your bike is as safe as possible while parked.
On-street bike corrals at the Bagdad Theater (SE Hawthorne Blvd. & SE 37th Ave), Por Que No? (SE Hawthorne Blvd. & SE 47th Ave), and Taqueria Los Punales (SE Belmont St. & SE 33rd Ave) offer bike parking in highly social locations; adjacent to a plethora of shops, restaurants, and grocery stores that generate pedestrian traffic and an outdoor dining population.
Market of Choice (SE Belmont St. & SE 11th Ave) and Whole Foods (E Burnside St. & NE 28th Ave) have located their bike parking next to busy, social entrances. To improve these racks, quantity could be increased at both locations, and the Whole Foods racks should really be thinner in diameter to better accommodate a U-lock.
Revolution Hall (SE Stark St. & SE 13th Ave) bike parking is fully in the pedestrian zone. Racks are surrounded by multiple clusters of outdoor tables and nearby dog park visitors, building tenants, roof deck visitors, and people queueing for concerts. To improve this facility, the quantity of racks could be increased. The recently completed Holgate Library (SE Holgate Blvd. & SE 79th Ave) has public bike racks at highly visible locations at the front and back main entrances. Large windows also allow people inside the building to see the bikes.
Covered
This final category of bike parking facilities exemplifies businesses that achieve both great separation from cars, great proximity to people, and they have a roof protecting bikes from the elements. Yes, a few of these are technically in Northeast, but they’re close enough to Southeast that they deserve to be included.
Hope you enjoyed this tour of bike parking. Aren’t we lucky to live in a city where we have so much excellent bike parking?!
— Story and photos by first-time BikePortland contributor Alison Grover. Alison has a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and has bike commuting in Oregon since 2017.
