I think it would make sense to include in the bike station study a means to find out where folks who are biking in from of town (or those who would bike in from out of town if there were ample facilities) work. Or do we already have this data? If the majority of folks who would bike to the Capitol Square area have fairly short bike commutes, then would we be served by a large bike station there? Central Madison is so much smaller than downtown Chicago that it seems that our protected bike parking needs would necessarily be different- we should increase the amount of protected bike parking downtown and on campus for sure, but maybe it should not all be in one place. There could be shower stations and protected bike parking strategically placed around to serve cyclists, without the need for an accompanying bike shop.
I think that expecting lots (i.e. more than already do) of people to bike commute more than ~ 5-8 miles each way is unrealistic. So, in order to up the numbers of folks who can maintain a reasonable bike commute, a park & ride on each far side of town that doubles as a bike station for folks who are "reverse commuting" (e.g. AmFam employees on the east side) could be as important as the proposed downtown bike facilities. I'm not suggesting that these are mutually exclusive either- we should have both. We should also factor in the influence of the new hop-around-the-isthmus-on-a-bike B-Cycles. The downtown/isthmus bike situation has changed (for the better!)- for $65/year, folks can now travel to the isthmus by any means (March1-Dec 15) and then can use a B-Cycle to get around during the day. Summary: Instead of just 1 big bike station at the Capitol, maybe we need decentralized bike facilities (showers, lockers, protected bike parking) scattered about the isthmus, and then a couple of combined park & ride + bike stations - one on the west side, and one on the east side (Near American Family?). I can't resist tacking this on: We need a safe bike route to the American Family Campus and out to Sun Prairie. If people could safely ride to/from work/home in that direction I think that we'd have a sudden and large uptick in bike commuting. Wouldn't that be a beautiful thing. -india On Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 9:37 AM, STRAWSER, Charles <[email protected]>wrote: > ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** > > Robbie’s description of a Bike Station is accurate, but I usually DON”T ask > people to think of it as a parking ramp for bikes, precisely because that > tends to enforce the common misperception that it is only a place for people > who bike downtown to leave their bike during the day.**** > > When actually the people often most likely to use bike parking that secure > are those who arrive downtown by some other means, and then want to use > their own bike which they are only able to store downtown because it’s in a > secure location. Robbie mentioned this, but I think lots of folks aren’t > giving this scenario enough consideration.**** > > ** ** > > Sure, I don’t mind parking my bike on the street in downtown ****Madison** > ** during the day because I only do it during the day (and actually not > even all day since I don’t work downtown, and I’m usually only there for > work meetings or personal reasons.**** > > ** ** > > But if I were coming into Madison from an outlying area (such as the areas > potentially served by any future commuter rail, or even areas potentially > served by any future High Speed Rail), and I wanted to leave it downtown, > I’d have no doubt that it would have to be kept in a secure facility if I > actually wanted to find a ridable bike where I’d left it the day before.** > ** > > ** ** > > Mitch mentions the Bike Station in ****Chicago****, and specifically that > it includes 24 hour secure parking for members. This is what makes it worth > the money (and planning efforts) over even sheltered standard bike racks in > downtown parking garages.**** > > Chuck Strawser > Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Planner > Commuter Solutions > Transportation Services > UW-Madison > Room 124 WARF > 610 Walnut St > Madison WI 53726 > 608-263-2969 > www.wisc.edu/trans **** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Mitchell Nussbaum > *Sent:* Saturday, August 13, 2011 2:51 PM > *To:* Robbie Webber > *Cc:* Amanda White; [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [Bikies] Mayor Soglin States Intent to Cancel Downtown Bike > Station Project**** > > ** ** > > **Chicago** has a bike station at the edge of ****Millenium** **Park****. > It's pretty impressive: daytime parking and bike repairs for the public, > plus 24-hour parking, showers and lockers for members. It has a corporate > sponsor (McDonalds!), so I don't know how much public money is involved, if > any.**** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Robbie Webber > *Sent:* Friday, August 12, 2011 3:15 PM > *To:* Robert F. Nagel > *Cc:* Amanda White; [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [Bikies] Mayor Soglin States Intent to Cancel Downtown Bike > Station Project**** > > ** ** > > Bike Station (capitalized) is a company that does planning for and > management or bicycle parking structures - which many people call > generically bike stations (lower case.)**** > > ** ** > > Think of a bike station as a parking ramp for bikes, although it is usually > much more than that. Bike stations often contain lockers and/or showers, > some have bike repair and/or small retail components (locks, lights, tubes, > etc.), may have bike information such as maps or directions. **** > > ** ** > > Most require that you are a member to park your bike there. Some allow the > public to park during the day, but members get 24/7/365 access via a pin > code or key chain fob. There are large and small, some privately run by > for-profit bike shops, some run by the city or county, some run by > non-profits.**** > > ** ** > > Bike stations have advantages over just racks on the street because they > are more secure and protected from the elements. Obviously, if they have > lockers and showers, that's a big bonus. In many cities, they act as hubs > for information, and some even provide space for classes or lectures. **** > > ** ** > > Many of us have been trying to get the City to include a bike station in > whatever structure will replace the Government East parking ramp and/or > Municipal Bldg parking lot. (There is a planning process for a number of > elements that likely will be put on these two blocks.)**** > > ** ** > > Bike stations work best where there is both great transit access and a > large employment base in proximity. The buses coming into the ****Capital > Square****, plus the GEF Blgs and other large office buildings around the > Square make the above location a good candidate for a bike station. it would > have been even better with the intercity rail and maybe commuter rail, but > even as it is now, it would work just fine.**** > > ** ** > > I have a report mostly written that reviews the ****Washington**, > **DC****Bike Station and gives some ideas of what we can learn from that > operation. > It also suggests what should be included in a needs assessment, so we can > figure out which elements should be included in a ****Madison**** bike > station. **** > > ** ** > > I'll post it when I finish writing it.**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > Robbie Webber > > > > > **** > > On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 3:01 PM, Robert F. Nagel <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > What is the bike station project? What does it cost?**** > > > On 8/12/11, Robbie Webber <[email protected]> wrote: > > Just as I was about to post my email to the Mayor's office to Bikies, > this > > came through from Anne Monk's, Soglin's staff on transportation issues: > > > > The Mayor’s blog has been corrected. The bike station is part of the > block > > 88/105 study now starting. The draft 2012 capital budget included > dollars > > for design of the bike station. There has been some discussion about > > whether it was possible those dollars would be needed in 2012. That is > the > > origin of the reference.**** > > > > ** ** > > > > Any questions let me know.**** > > > > ** ** > > > > Anne > > > > Robbie Webber > > > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 2:23 PM, Amanda White <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > >> Hello, > >> > >> I was surprised to read Mayor Soglin's Blog today which states his > intent > >> to cancel the downtown bike station project. He states it almost as an > >> afterthought while providing examples of projects that are being cut in > >> his > >> revised 2011 Capital Budget that will go to Council in the next couple > >> weeks. I spoke to one alder who was very surprised to hear this news. > This > >> alder told me that he did not recall the bike station being a part of > >> discussions on budget revision. > >> > >> I will get more information over the next few days and keep you posted. > >> Until then PLEASE COME TO THE MEETING ON THE 16TH! Now more than ever > it's > >> important that we show Mayor Soglin that bicycling is important. > >> > >> Community Budget Conversation > >> August 16 > >> 7 - 9pm > >> ****Madison** **Senior** **Center**** (****330 W. Mifflin Street****) > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Amanda > >> ________________________ > >> Amanda White > >> Associate Director > >> Bicycle Federation of ****Wisconsin**** > >> (608) 251-4456 > >> [email protected] > >> www.bfw.org > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Bikies mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >> > >> > >**** > > -- > Sent from my mobile device > > --- > Robert F. Nagel > [email protected] > www.nagel-law.com > Thirty on the Square, 10th Floor > ****30 W. Mifflin St., Suite 1001**** > ****Madison**, **WI** **53703**** > 608-255-1501 office > 608-255-1504 fax > 608-438-9501 cell**** > > ** ** > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > -- -India Viola, We Are All Mechanics <http://www.weareallmechanics.com>WeAreAllMechanics.com [email protected]
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