Streetsblog New York City

Another great example of positive movement for the bicycle community!

I work near this station and absolutely love this bike cage. I park my bike there all the time and am especially grateful for those days when it starts raining after I've arrived at work. I can stay at my desk confident in the knowledge that my bike isn't getting soaked to the bearings. I also know that it's safe as the only other people who even go near the cage are fellow riders.

I'm a New Yorker in Boston for a work assignment and this is one of the big things I'll miss when I return to New York in a few months. I can imagine dozens of places where one of these could be placed with little effort. Essentially, it's a fence with a canopy over it. Add an electronic lock and, voila, you have a very simple way to park bikes!

This isn't rocket science people! How much did this cost? At most $100,000? Maybe?

With the average cost of a parking space in a structure going for $40,000 this type of project would be pocket change!

I proposed a bikestation type facility in my hometown of New Brunswick in an empty storefront directly across from the train station. The store front has been empty for over 4 years. The bike parking currently at the station is a mob scene! Nearly 100 bikes parked to every available rack and a waiting list of many years for the 12 bike lockers.

The local TMA loved my idea and tried to move it along. Unfortunately the powers that be, beyond the TMA just don't get it. Instead from what I know they proposed a primitive bike room in a building that won't be built for another 4 years; a building that will have a parking deck for over 400 cars!! (400 x $40,000 = $16,000,000!!!!)

In the meantime the store front remains empty. The owner of the build with the empty store front? The New Brunswick Parking Authority! Clueless!

The parking is free, but I bet even if there was a nominal charge -- $1 or $2 -- it would still be just as full.