The Chainlink

Where do you have trouble finding a bike rack to lock up at?

I take my bike everywhere I go in Chicago and unfortunately am used to finding a lack of rack space in certain locations.  I've called out my list of the major "offenders" below - would love to hear from others about locations you think lack sufficient rack space.  

Businesses should understand that installing bike racks - under the City's free program - attracts more customers and does a great  social good by encouraging biking.  Not being able to securely lock your bike discourages visiting a location!

1) North/Wells -  unless you get there early in the am the  racks  outside the Starbucks  and continuing up North on the West side are often filled.  Little tip- on the other side of the GNC store is a little hidden rack (just past Second City marquee).

2) Broadway/Belmont - very under racked intersection. Nothing outside the Walgreens; one outside the chicken hut; and I think just one small one outside the Chipotle. Walking up and down the streets doesn't help. Tonight people locked  up to small trees!

3)  The mini mall across  from the Post Office at 4877 North Broadway.  I go to  that food store next to the Dong Key restaurant and there is not one rack in the whole mall.  I lock to a garbage container there as there is nothing else to use. I have asked the owner of the anchor Viet food store to install one but I don't think she understands it is free.  

Question for one of you:  will the City install the rack on private property, as in the sidewalk within a mini mall?

Jo

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Permalink Reply by Haddon on October 15, 2014 at 9:44pm

For responders with nothing but snark: If your life is so sad you derive pleasure from being insulting I feel sorry for you as do most other people. Rather than being a detractor find something interesting and post it, you'll feel better about yourself and other people will like you more. Thanks, Haddon.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on October 15, 2014 at 9:50pm

Rich, I go the Gleacher Center a lot and use a rack there.  It is right out the Gleacher Center entrance but just a short walk to the NYC Tower.  It's onthe roundabout in front of the Gleacher Center entrance.  Wierd thing about this Google map is it shows the rack but if you try to get closer it switches to a street view from 2009 when the rack wasn't there. It only took me five hours to figure this out.

Anyhow hope this helps and you can survive the 100 foot walk. :)

I"ve also pasted it below as a  big ass image if that link doesn't work (don't know why it wouldn't but I made the capture  so thought I'd use it).  Anyway hope this helps..the racks are the good kind.


Rich S said:

The rack request at Belmont/Elston/California has been declined due to insufficient sidewalk space. 

I submitted a request to install racks in the space between NBC Tower and Gleacher Center on Cityfront Plaza Dr. There's a Divvy Station there but not a single bike rack which I find astounding. Saw lots of bikes locked to poles. My company is moving its office to the NBC Tower this month and the bike parking in their garage is so bad I actually feel safer locking to a pole outside. 

Please give some support hearts to the rack I requested at the link below. I'll happily return the favor which I have for some of the other rack requests mentioned in this discussion. 

http://bikeparking.chicagocompletestreets.org/place/256298

Permalink Reply by Rich S on October 16, 2014 at 2:40pm

I actually did see that rack (it was full) when I walked over there last week. But it didn't look like a city installed rack fixed to the sidewalk so I put in the request for new racks in anyway. It's one of those that 2 or 3 people could carry away if there weren't any bikes locked to it. Even though I feel comfortable locking to that rack there should still be more bike parking there. I saw at least 4 or 5 bikes locked to poles on that strip. 

Basically NBC's indoor bike parking has room for only 4 securely locked bikes and it's accessible to the public. I think I'll be ok through the winter but I'm nervous about bike parking for next spring/summer. There are 4 of us at the office that ride all winter as it is and a few more that will also ride in the nicer months. I'm hoping the rack request is approved and they get installed in time. 



jolondon30 said:

Rich, I go the Gleacher Center a lot and use a rack there.  It is right out the Gleacher Center entrance but just a short walk to the NYC Tower.  It's onthe roundabout in front of the Gleacher Center entrance.  Wierd thing about this Google map is it shows the rack but if you try to get closer it switches to a street view from 2009 when the rack wasn't there. It only took me five hours to figure this out.

Anyhow hope this helps and you can survive the 100 foot walk. :)

I"ve also pasted it below as a  big ass image if that link doesn't work (don't know why it wouldn't but I made the capture  so thought I'd use it).  Anyway hope this helps..the racks are the good kind.



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