Bicycle Blueprint - Why Indoor Access

Introduction

NYC Cycling
1. NYC Bike Policy
2. State of NYC Cycling
3. Cyclists & Streets
“A Bike and a Prayer”

Riding Infrastructure
4. Street Design
5. Bridges
6. Road Surfaces
7. Greenways
8. Parks
9. Bicycles and Transit
10. Reducing Traffic

Security
11. Bicycle Theft
12. On-Street Parking

Indoor Parking

On the Job Cycling
14. Bicycle Messengers
“Fifth, Park & Madison”
15. Freight Cycles
16. Gov't Cycling

Reducing Risks
17. Accidents
“Three Who Died”
18. Air Pollution

Bicycle Education
19. Schools
20. Public Education

Appendices

Chapter 13:
Indoor Bicycle Parking

Why Indoor Access
b) Gaining Indoor Bicycle Access
c) Creating Indoor Bicycle Parking
d) Garage Parking
e) Mandatory Building Access
f) Chapter 13 Recommendations
Sidebar: Bicycle Lockers
Figure 13: Demonstrations of Bike Parking

Why Indoor Access

Read the latest news on this subject.

Much as motorists carry jacks, flashlights and maps in their cars, commuting cyclists should be able to carry their essential gear — pump, tools, lights, panniers — on their bikes without having to remove it one or more times a day. This requires secure indoor parking. Even cyclists who travel light need access to places where they can keep their bikes safe from theft and the weather. In most cases, this too means indoor parking.

The 1992 Transportation Alternatives survey of 839 New York City cyclists bears out the importance of bike access to the workplace for bicycle commuting. Among the 323 survey respondents who do not commute by bike, the single biggest obstacle mentioned was “no secure parking,” given by 154, or 48 percent. Conversely, among the 516 bike-commuters, fully 345, or 67 percent, are able to bring their bike into the workplace. Among all respondents, 327 (39 percent) said that “workplace access” was very important to them. Almost daily, the T.A. office takes calls from workers seeking help in gaining on-the-job bicycle access.

A handful of New York City institutions have recognized the importance of bicycle security. For example, New York University, while maintaining extensive outdoor parking facilities, has moved a number of racks from outdoors into building lobbies next to security desks. The underground parking garage at Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan has a bicycle rack available for bike commuting employees and the public.

Among public officials, Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger has led the way in promoting awareness of the need for secure bike parking. In commenting on the proposed Commodities Exchange facility in Tribeca, Messinger asked that the project be designed to “include secure indoor and outdoor bicycle parking facilities (with a minimum of 100 total spaces), both for employees who might commute to work and delivery-people, to safely park bicycles when they visit the Exchanges building.” [1]

The ideal form of indoor bike parking is in the cyclist's personal office space; a common workplace storage area runs a close second. The closer and more secure the parking space, the less gear the cyclist must remove from the bicycle. This not only saves time but reduces the cyclist's — and the office's — exposure to grease and dirt.

NOTES:

1. Executive Summary, ULURP Recommendations: the Exchanges Project, Manhattan Borough President Office, Nov. 20, 1991.