bike parking hall of fame/hall of shame (was bike parking at stores, libraries and other major destinations)
I previously started this topic with a slightly different focus. I'd like to keep the info we've already gathered and encourage you all to add more. The goal is to collect data for a project I'm pursuing with a few folks to improve bike parking in the city.
Please post comments about Chicago businesses whose bike parking is either good (to say thanks) or needs improvement. Include identifying information - name of business, address, and what is good or not so good about their bike parking.
Photos are useful if you can get 'em. If you have multiple businesses you'd like to mention, feel free. They can be big chains (Jewel, Dominick's, Walgreens, Home Depot, etc.), franchises (hardware or fast food stores, for examples), or independent businesses.
If you talk to a store manager about the issue, tell us if you got any positive results.
Thanks for all your info! It would be great if we can get better bike parking at the majority of stores and restaurants in bike-accessible locations in the next few years. Your info can help make that possible.
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I've had an ongoing discussion with a few people about the lack of good bike parking at most grocery stores, drug stores, etc.
County Fair (a family-owned independent) at 108th & Western has city racks out front. Riding there to shop is a piece of cake.
Jewel and Dominick's stores typically have no racks at all or one rack installed so close to a wall that it can only be used by a few bikes, or one rack in a location where it's always surrounded by shopping carts - not bike friendly. Walgreens stores near me have wheel bender racks similar to this.
The nearest CVS has a city rack out front near the door, which is well used, but the one on their own property is so far from the flow of traffic and installed so close to the wall that it's never used.
There's a new public library on 95th St. that opened less than a year ago. It has a 10-bike rack near the front door. Guess what? It's installed so close to the wall nothing with wheels larger than 20" can be secured to it with a U-lock. It usually has no more than 2 bikes locked to it, then people start locking to the nearby benches and fence.
Meanwhile, another perfectly good 10-bike rack goes unused, because it's tucked away in the corner of the parking lot, out of sight from where most cyclists approach the library.
Which grocery store, pharmacy and library are your usual stops? Do they have good bike parking? Tell us about what's good or bad about the bike parking at these places or other frequent destinations. Curious minds want to know.
Please post comments about Chicago businesses whose bike parking is either good (to say thanks) or needs improvement. Include identifying information - name of business, address, and what is good or not so good about their bike parking.
Photos are useful if you can get 'em. If you have multiple businesses you'd like to mention, feel free. They can be big chains (Jewel, Dominick's, Walgreens, Home Depot, etc.), franchises (hardware or fast food stores, for examples), or independent businesses.
If you talk to a store manager about the issue, tell us if you got any positive results.
Thanks for all your info! It would be great if we can get better bike parking at the majority of stores and restaurants in bike-accessible locations in the next few years. Your info can help make that possible.
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I've had an ongoing discussion with a few people about the lack of good bike parking at most grocery stores, drug stores, etc.
County Fair (a family-owned independent) at 108th & Western has city racks out front. Riding there to shop is a piece of cake.
Jewel and Dominick's stores typically have no racks at all or one rack installed so close to a wall that it can only be used by a few bikes, or one rack in a location where it's always surrounded by shopping carts - not bike friendly. Walgreens stores near me have wheel bender racks similar to this.
The nearest CVS has a city rack out front near the door, which is well used, but the one on their own property is so far from the flow of traffic and installed so close to the wall that it's never used.
There's a new public library on 95th St. that opened less than a year ago. It has a 10-bike rack near the front door. Guess what? It's installed so close to the wall nothing with wheels larger than 20" can be secured to it with a U-lock. It usually has no more than 2 bikes locked to it, then people start locking to the nearby benches and fence.
Meanwhile, another perfectly good 10-bike rack goes unused, because it's tucked away in the corner of the parking lot, out of sight from where most cyclists approach the library.
Which grocery store, pharmacy and library are your usual stops? Do they have good bike parking? Tell us about what's good or bad about the bike parking at these places or other frequent destinations. Curious minds want to know.
Tags: bike parking, bike rack, hall of fame, shame
Views: 1680
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on -
There are several bike racks west of the western-most spectator/pedestrian overpass. There are other bike racks scattered about on 35th Street. Sometimes with large destinations (like a gigantic stadium), bike parking (among other features) can be difficult to find.
Have you seen a specific need for more?
If so, request bike parking on the CDOT website.
Art Gilfand said:From the hall of fame:
WRIGLEY FIELD - CHICAGO CUBS BIKE VALET.
Kudos. They moved the bike valet to the NE corner of Waveland and Clark. In addition, lots of bike racks around the ballpark.
At the facilty on 35th Street: Still looking for bike valet and more than a dozen bike racks.
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Permalink Reply by Jared on -
Just put in a request for 4635 N. Elston (Village Discount). Really, the only thing to lock up to there is the parking lot gate.
Steven Vance said:There are several bike racks west of the western-most spectator/pedestrian overpass. There are other bike racks scattered about on 35th Street. Sometimes with large destinations (like a gigantic stadium), bike parking (among other features) can be difficult to find.
Have you seen a specific need for more?
If so, request bike parking on the CDOT website.
Art Gilfand said:From the hall of fame:
WRIGLEY FIELD - CHICAGO CUBS BIKE VALET.
Kudos. They moved the bike valet to the NE corner of Waveland and Clark. In addition, lots of bike racks around the ballpark.
At the facilty on 35th Street: Still looking for bike valet and more than a dozen bike racks.
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Permalink Reply by Maureen Sullivan on
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Chicago's first green police station on 31st and Halsted has one bike rack and it's hidden in the parking lot. Why none in front of the station?!
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Permalink Reply by Michael A on -
This notice was attached to a rack on lincoln, near bryn mayr, the bike rack is now gone and there is a sidewalk cafe in it's place
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on -
The proliferation of sidewalk cafes is making it tougher for peds to walk down the sidewalks as well as costing us bike parking. *sigh*
Michael A said:This notice was attached to a rack on lincoln, near bryn mayr, the bike rack is now gone and there is a sidewalk cafe in it's place
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Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Connor on -
Scrolled through and didn't see it mentioned in this thread (very quick browse), but Cycle Smithy belongs in the hall of shame for their parking. You have to parallel park on the bike rack.
Great store and very helpful people, so just take your bike inside.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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You're right. Yours is the first mention of Cycle Smithy. Got a picture of their bike rack?
The rack at Performance isn't the greatest, but at least it's in a position where it can be used to its maximum capacity. Also, there's constant traffic in and out of the store, so there tend to be plenty of eyes on it.
Patrick O'Connor said:Scrolled through and didn't see it mentioned in this thread (very quick browse), but Cycle Smithy belongs in the hall of shame for their parking. You have to parallel park on the bike rack.
Great store and very helpful people, so just take your bike inside.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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Anyone got grocery stores or other frequent destinations in Uptown, Bucktown, West Town or other neighborhoods they'd like to nominate - good or bad?
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Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on -
Of course the Performance schoolyard rack is where the strip mall dumps all the snow from their parking lot...
Anne Alt said:You're right. Yours is the first mention of Cycle Smithy. Got a picture of their bike rack?
The rack at Performance isn't the greatest, but at least it's in a position where it can be used to its maximum capacity. Also, there's constant traffic in and out of the store, so there tend to be plenty of eyes on it.
Patrick O'Connor said:Scrolled through and didn't see it mentioned in this thread (very quick browse), but Cycle Smithy belongs in the hall of shame for their parking. You have to parallel park on the bike rack.
Great store and very helpful people, so just take your bike inside.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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Today I happened to pass a Jewel that has good bike parking - how rare! The Jewel at Damen/Lincoln/Irving Park has two large wave racks near the doors that are actually installed at a proper distance from the wall. Several bikes were locked up there when I went by.
Has anyone else encountered another Jewel store that actually has good bike parking?
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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In today's Tribune, Blair Kamin (architecture critic) writes about a new green Dominick's store at 5233 N. Lincoln Ave. Towards the end of the article he says "The combined impact of the energy-saving measures . . . will be the equivalent of removing 160 cars from the roads and planting more than 250 acres of trees a year." [italics added by me]
My question to him (which I'm posting in comments and sending via e-mail) is this: Did they follow the lead of Whole Foods in one important aspect - by providing bike parking to actually get more cars off the roads and make shopping by bike feasible? The majority of other Dominick's locations provide NO bike parking, or have bike racks too close to the wall or in places where they get buried in shopping carts, rendering them useless.
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Permalink Reply by David on -
You may be right about a majority of markets in the city, but location matters a lot here. I regularly hit most of the supermarkets near me, namely the Dominicks on Chicago, on Clybourn and on Grand (occasionally), Jewel on Desplaines and on Ashland/Milwaukee, Trader Joes on Clybourn and Ontario, and I've never had a problem finding bike parking at any of them (with TJ, often one rack fills and you have to use another, though). And riding around the city, Dominicks is usually where I stop for a CLIF bar or something if I need quick energy, and I can't remember ever not finding bike parking at one.
Now I don't find myself down on 95th St. very often, which I'm sure is much worse for bikes. And the areas I frequent tend to be pretty bike-friendly (that's why I frequent them). But it's just not my experience that Dominicks typically has NO bike parking. I think that like most things in Chicago, there's a huge north side/south side split in this area.
BTW, someone above complained about bike parking at Jewel on Ashland, but I've always treated the grating in front of the store as a huge bike rack and nobody has ever complained. OTOH, somebody also mentioned Stanley's on North, which is the one store in the city where I regularly find myself with no place to park. It's not just the lack of racks there it's also the bizarre absence of any street signs.
Anne Alt said:The majority of other Dominick's locations provide NO bike parking, or have bike racks too close to the wall or in places where they get buried in shopping carts, rendering them useless.
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