In a city with such limited bike parking options
(and fewer due to the disappearing parking meter) - I appreciated spotting this fully suspended/elevated technique in SoHo last week.
However I would like to note that locking up the scaffolding is traditionally a no-no. It was not that long ago that some would go around with a wrench and remove enough bolts to slide off and steal bikes.
The PUBLIC Blog did a recent post on outwitting thieves using unconventional storage/locking techniques. Mentioned in their post + on the top of my list of what ever bike friendly city needs... bicycle corrals. I loved using them in Portland while visiting in 2009. Strategically placed and typically found in public gathering spots such as in front of cafes - they provide a convenient and secure option to lock up. Here's hoping more cities (hello, NYC DOT) will catch on!
Even small 'bike friendly' cities on the East Coast that I've lived in are remiss in the bike-parking department. Portland, ME tried the cool fully-enclosed deals that would hold one bike and be locked by the rider's lock, but they proved prohibitively expensive. I live near Burlington, VT now and it's pretty good for bikes. The main drag has lots of bike parking structures (and lots of iron fences and such if those are full).
ReplyDeleteRecently, though, my solution to the bike theft problem is that my bike is either in my car, in a building (house or work) or under my butt.