The difference a year makes in Trader Joe’s bike parking

October 16, 2012 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

This time last year I was writing about the Trader Joe’s at Campbell Avenue and Limberlost Road and how their pumpkin patch had seriously hindered the utility of the complex’s bike parking.

After a letter, a few blog posts, a conversation with the manager and feedback from many of you, the manager of the store said he would look into alternative options.

I was pleased to ride up to the store this weekend and see the above photograph.

This year instead of putting the pumpkins in the bike parking area, the store management used two car parking spaces for the patch. It has left all of the bike parking open.

Kudos to Trader Joe’s for listening to its customers.

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6 comments

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Orvis

Mike and entourage rolled up just as I was emerging from the T-Joe's. I had gone back in to thank the manager for the much improved arrangement. The first year of the pumpkin patch I just skipped the store for the 3-4 weeks it was up. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised this year. So yay progress and they also more than doubled the parking spaces over a year ago. Who still needs to improve though is the Sprouts on 1st Ave and the abysmally woebegone bike parking at the Food City on 1st and Ft Lowell. What's so maddening is they have perfectly good racks at the Sprouts but the one set is no longer bolted down and they both are obstructed by the tables and chairs they set out. And Colby, how's that Jimmy John's doing on getting their act together? It's bad enough they replaced the only decent bagel place in Tucson. Let's have a contest, best bicycle parking. The El Con Theatre parking is very nice too bad it's only 6 spaces. The bike corrals are alright except they aren't kind to pretty paint. TCC, love those vinyl coated taller inverted u's. UA, pretty low marks all around. They have the quantity thing covered but they're sorely lacking in the quality department. I still chuckle every time I think of our Martha giving the security guards at Swede Johnson heck for the total lack of reasonable bicycle parking at what was or should have been a bicycle event. I ended up parking an entire building away that night.

Colby

I talked to one of the co-owners of the Jimmy Johns location and they are working through the permitting process to add a pation in the back by the drive thru and will incorporating bike racks into the design. She hopes this will be done by end of the year and I plan to do a follow-up story when it's installed (& maybe do a bike mob to give them some business as a show of thanks).

Martha Retallick

Well, if you think I gave the Swede Johnson building security guards what-for, don't get me started on the fenced-off bike racks on 4th Avenue. Just don't. Another epic fail for the bicycle community.

Orvis

Those 4th Ave fence thingies are just stupid. The only way we manage shopping at the Coop on bikes is with 2 people. One to watch the bikes, the other one to run in and shop. Mostly we just walk. Talk about don't get me started. Say what you may about the Modern St Car, the debacle of the construction management is what has my blood boiling. The single biggest thing they could have done to mitigate the construction impacts on bike ped traffic would have been to control the speed of diverted and detoured vehicles. City buses zooming through the 15mph construction zones at 30 mph plus. You're telling me the city can't control their own drivers? Granite construction trucks zooming around the neighborhood, c'mon you can't stipulate a lowered construction zone speed for these trucks when you execute a contract? TUSD busses, yes they're a state entity but did anyone even try asking them to slow down during the construction? Lowest bid isn't looking all that great from where I sit. Contrast the St Car zone with the County Courthouse project downtown. Traffic is slowed down on Toole. When the rip up the asphalt they replace it with a smooth repair when they're done. Crosswalks, they actually create temporaries downtown and when they reinstate the permanent crosswalks they re-stripe them.

Martha Retallick

Oh, no! Two automotive parking places are temporarily gone! And they are right outside the store! It means that people will have to park further away and WALK a few more steps! What IS this country coming too? (Sarcasm off.)