Bike racks at Metro stations can fill up quickly as illustrated by this photo from March 2008 at North Hollywood Station.The problem of insufficient bike parking isn't a new one for Angelenos and isn't limited just to Los Angeles. Even cities such as New York, which installed 1,377 new bike racks last year is struggling to find adequate bike parking as the replacement of old parking meters with meterless parking is removing thousands of unofficial parking spaces from city streets. Here in Los Angeles, the problem in finding enough places to safely park your bike is well-chronicled.
In another sign that Metro is really beginning to "get it" when it comes to the importance of providing options to multi-modal commuters, Metro is planning on installing hundreds of bike racks and bike lockers at stations along the Orange, Red and Blue Lines. From a report to the Metro Board:
In FY 09, this procurement would add 136 lockers to our system at the following 9 high demand stations: North Hollywood, Wilshire/Verrnont and Universal Metro Red Line stations; Balboa, Reseda, Woodley and Sepulveda Metro Orange Line stations; Norwalk Metro Green Line station; and Fillmore Metro Gold Line station. Also to be added are up to 150 bicycle racks at the Metro Blue Line Imperial-Wilmington Station, Metro Red Line Hollywood/Vine and other stations where rack usage is high. In FY 10, we would add 88 additional bicycle lockers to 4 stations: El Monte and Artesia Transit Centers, Memorial Park Metro Gold Line Station, and another rail station to be determined.
Of course, while I count thirteen stations that will see parking
improvements in this plan, we shouldn't stop advocating for better bike
parking at any Metro station that has overflowing bike racks or parking
that is so far off the beaten path that it is unsafe. In the meantime, let's help Metro out with their planning for 2010: Does anyone have a suggestion for the other Metro station which will get a major boost in bike parking in 2010?
