Boston Biker reports on the planned facilities at Braintree, Ashmont, Davis Square, Oak Grove and Malden Center - and that they will use a different and better rack design than the existing cages, based on input from actual bicyclists.
Why not on the blue line? Since you can't bike into Boston from East Boston / Winthrop, it would make sense to have some secure bike parking at Maverick, Wood Island or Orient Heights.
1)You can't register your existing CharlieCard, you have to get a special one (which can't actually be used as a CharlieCard), which means you now have to carry TWO cards?
2)Despite card access and security cameras, they attracted bike thieves like bees to honey?
Have you heard? The T is running a serious debt. Everything costs money. If you park your car, you pay. At this point in time cyclists get to park their bikes for free -- enjoy it while it lasts. I'm on foot, so I park my ass on the T seat which I pay for. Cyclists are getting more places to park their bikes -- you are not a victim.
reflects market conditions. Car parking is scarce, the 'T can get away with charging for it. Bike parking is plentiful, much harder to justify charging, since there is no need to manage demand. And, as another has already posted, car parking costs the 'T a considerable amount of money to provide. Bike racks? not so much.
That must be why I had to walk two blocks up Elm street to find a place to lock up at Davis last week. It can be tough some days, and then the "local" spots fill up all day. That spill out from the station has to cut into the ability of people going shopping and patronizing local businesses to lock up as well.
I wouldn't mind, however, if there was a small lockup fee for a reserved spot were I a regular user of station parking.
I'm amazed that I have never had a bike stolen. I have noticed that I take more time than many to lock up so that everything is nailed down.
for bike parking. I bet then nobody would be bothered by a two block walk. As with most things, it varies on circumstance, but to clarify a bit, my meaning is that bike parking should be plentiful, because it is inexpensive to create and maintain. I realize there are some localized exceptions where demand is so great that it won't be plentiful no matter what, though. But which is easier, locking a bike in Davis Square, or parking a car?
It takes a while to saw through a U-lock. Are they getting away with that, sitting in front of the camera for however long, or are they just going after easier targets?
I have a friend who found his stolen bike locked to a poll on Boylston St.
Armed with a hand saw and a police report, he took a half hour to cut the lock off. No one ever approached him and asked what he was doing.
You would think someone would go back to the cameras once the theft was reported.
Comments
Why not on the blue line?
Why not on the blue line? Since you can't bike into Boston from East Boston / Winthrop, it would make sense to have some secure bike parking at Maverick, Wood Island or Orient Heights.
have they solved any of the problems of the original cages?
Namely:
1)You can't register your existing CharlieCard, you have to get a special one (which can't actually be used as a CharlieCard), which means you now have to carry TWO cards?
2)Despite card access and security cameras, they attracted bike thieves like bees to honey?
Bike CharlieCard
1) The "Bike CharlieCard" can 100% be used as a normal CharlieCard. That's the whole point...
2) Truth.
More importantly
Is the T going require cyclists to pay a daily fee to leave their bikes at these racks?
They already do this for car drivers who park at their stations, so it only seems reasonable and fair to do the same with cyclists.
Why don't you go the other way with that
and try to get the T to allow free parking for cars, just like they do for bicycles?
Why not focus on making things better for you instead of making things lousier for cyclists? This isn't some zero-sum game you're playing.
chill
Have you heard? The T is running a serious debt. Everything costs money. If you park your car, you pay. At this point in time cyclists get to park their bikes for free -- enjoy it while it lasts. I'm on foot, so I park my ass on the T seat which I pay for. Cyclists are getting more places to park their bikes -- you are not a victim.
A single surface parking lot
A single surface parking lot space costs $8,000 to build. Just one. It has to repaved and repainted every few years.
How much does it cost to build a bike rack?
Fine, lets make it proportional. Car drivers pay $5, bike users pay $0.03.
Thatll be effective.
Charging for parking
reflects market conditions. Car parking is scarce, the 'T can get away with charging for it. Bike parking is plentiful, much harder to justify charging, since there is no need to manage demand. And, as another has already posted, car parking costs the 'T a considerable amount of money to provide. Bike racks? not so much.
Bike parking is plentiful?
That must be why I had to walk two blocks up Elm street to find a place to lock up at Davis last week. It can be tough some days, and then the "local" spots fill up all day. That spill out from the station has to cut into the ability of people going shopping and patronizing local businesses to lock up as well.
I wouldn't mind, however, if there was a small lockup fee for a reserved spot were I a regular user of station parking.
I'm amazed that I have never had a bike stolen. I have noticed that I take more time than many to lock up so that everything is nailed down.
Davis square might be a place to charge
for bike parking. I bet then nobody would be bothered by a two block walk. As with most things, it varies on circumstance, but to clarify a bit, my meaning is that bike parking should be plentiful, because it is inexpensive to create and maintain. I realize there are some localized exceptions where demand is so great that it won't be plentiful no matter what, though. But which is easier, locking a bike in Davis Square, or parking a car?
bike thefts
my bike was stolen at Alewife and a csa agent told me that bikes thieves are making a killing stealing hundreds of bikes om the system
Bike thieves
It takes a while to saw through a U-lock. Are they getting away with that, sitting in front of the camera for however long, or are they just going after easier targets?
I wonder
I have a friend who found his stolen bike locked to a poll on Boylston St.
Armed with a hand saw and a police report, he took a half hour to cut the lock off. No one ever approached him and asked what he was doing.
You would think someone would go back to the cameras once the theft was reported.
All too easy to steal a bike in broad daylight
Check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbklkFuFk-4