Corrals and Oases: Bike Parking in Portland

The Bottleneck Blog isn’t the only one who can go to Portland to check out their best practices. 

Here’s one more from this summer’s Carfree Cities conference week in Portland. In this Streetfilm, Greg Raisman of the Portland Office of Transportation treats Elizabeth Press to a bike parking tour, featuring two designs that make the most of available space while keeping pedestrian impediments to a minimum. The "bike oasis" incorporates a sidewalk bulb-out for bike storage, while the "bike corral" secures scores of bikes in parking spots once occupied by two or three cars.

Not only are the set ups convenient for cyclists, they’re good for business too. Says Richard Satnick, founder of Laughing Planet Café:

"They’re very heavily used all the time. And the usual business argument that you’re taking away parking just doesn’t work here."

  • Oh my God – these are precisely what are need in L.A.’s busy commercial districts.

    Think of the sales pitch, “Turn a parking place for two shoppers into a parking place for 35 shoppers!”

    Highland Park (along N. Figueroa) should be first on the list for these.

    This stuff is so cheap, and so easy, and gives a good return on the dollar – this MUST happen in L.A.

  • Chico has similar bicycle parking on its main streets. I found it quite nice to see, and well used.

  • Well, it only took a little over a year, but LA’s first bike parking corral makes regular cameos on North Figueroa Street in the evenings and on weekends.

    Thanks for the inspiration Streetsblog!

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