Fix Bike “Clutter” — Put a Bike Corral on Every Block

Dockless bike-share companies added 44,000 bikes to the streets in American cities in 2017, nearly doubling the size of the national bike-share fleet.  One side effect, chronicled ad nauseam in the press, is the sidewalk clutter of bikes parked in the pedestrian right of way. 

It shouldn’t be a tough nut to crack: Just put more bike parking in the curb lane.  Now Washington, DC, is considering something along those lines. 

David Whitehead at Greater Greater Washington reports that some local officials want to beef up bike parking in a big way in the District in conjunction with the city’s dockless bike-share pilot. 

In a letter to City Council transportation chair Mary Cheh, Council Member David Grosso said there should be a bike rack at every corner:

We should have at least one bike rack at every one of our 7,700 intersections in the city.  No one should ever have to walk several blocks from a rack to their destination. 

Grosso estimates that the cost of implementing this bike parking would come to $2-$3 million, and he suggests raises the funds from licensing fees on dockless bike-share companies. 

The section of the curb lane approaching the crosswalk is the perfect place for a bike corral, notes GGW’s David Cranor.  By keeping that zone clear of parked cars, bike parking will effectively “daylight” the intersection, improving visibility and safety for everyone.  Win-win!