Bike parking code dispute hits the mainstream media

Posted on February 16th, 2011 by

Local television station KVOA ran a story about the bike parking code updates, which will have an overall negative effect on bicycle parking in Tucson. Check out the video below.

Check out an excerpt from the story:

Potential changes to the City’s Bicycle Parking Code are upsetting cyclists who say the changes put safe and convenient bike parking at risk.

Members of the Land Use Code Committee, the City-appointed group recommending the changes, say the updates make sense.

“Some business owners use that area for merchandise display,” said Jason Wong, commercial real estate developer and Land Use Code Committee Member. Wong is also a member of the Parking and Bicycle Guideline Sub Committee.

Wong says after factoring in bike parking in front of a business, there may be little room left for much else.

“Bicycle parking has a number of guidelines that require the bicycle rack be able to accommodate the six foot bike, have four feet maneuvering between the bikes,” Wong said.

Then they quote BICAS employee and BAC member Kylie Walkzak:

However cyclists, like Kylie Walzak, a member of the government-appointed Bicycle Advisory Committee, says 50 feet should be the maximum.

“If you put bike racks closer to the entrance of a building, and there are lots of bikes locked up to it, people going in and out of that building might think to themselves, ‘Oh look at all these people who have biked there, I could do that too,’” Walzak Said.

For Kylie, safety is the biggest concern.

“As a woman, it is really important that I have safe, close bike parking, because I don’t want to be parking somewhere late at night that is dark, that is far away,” Walzak said.

Read the rest of KVOA’s post here and check out Tucson Velo’s story about the parking code here.

Lastly, here is what you can do to help:

Use the emails below to contact the Mayor and council members and let them know why quality bicycle parking is important. The council is expected to review the updates on March 8.

City of Tucson Mayor and Council, c/o City Hall
255 West Alameda Street
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mayor Bob Walkup – mayor1@tucsonaz.gov
Regina Romero, Ward I – ward1@tucsonaz.gov
Paul Cunningham, Ward II – ward2@tucsonaz.gov
Karen Uhlich, Ward III – ward3@tucsonaz.gov
Shirley Scott, Ward IV – ward4@tucsonaz.gov
Richard Fimbres, Ward V – ward5@tucsonaz.gov
Steve Kozachik, Ward VI – ward6@tucsonaz.gov

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Post a comment below or discuss in the Tucson Velo forums
Posted on February 16th, 2011 by
  • zz

    Why is it not considered to take some car spaces for bikes? Are the bike corrals we have not working? Is it thinking too far outside the box? Can we not treat bikes like the transportation vehicles that they are?
    The most important point brought up at last night’s Living Streets Alliance initial gathering was that we are dealing with an incredibly ingrained car-culture perspective that keeps us from considering anything new or different. Is it that we want things different, but, oooh, not THAT different. Does the city really encourage bike use by not providing a place to put them upon arrival? They certainly are creating space to store cars downtown and that may look like progress to them, but it’s not any sort of change.

    BTW People with bicycle interest were by far the greatest number in attendance at LSA’s meeting last night.

  • Colby

    Anybody esle notice that the bike in the video still has a rear flat tire – bummer.

  • Anonymous

    I’m fighting with my friend over this in IMs right now. Lol. I told her to go to the meeting and win it for her side. I hope she doesn’t because she is a master at winning arguments. Hahaha~ I’m going to try to be there.

  • E.

    This argument about businesses needing the space for merchandise seems particularly disingenuous. I don’t recall ever seeing any business in Tucson with merchandise out on the sidewalk — is it even legal? This Jason Wong dude just doesn’t want to have to spend any money in his car-centric development projects, and can’t come up with a better argument.

  • pedalright

    What’s with these poorly designed parking racks? If you have a decent bike, and not a Huffy or Murray, you wouldn’t want to lean the frame or fork on a metal pole. Whatever happened to good bike racks with slots for rear wheels? I know these U-shaped racks are less expensive from the city’s point of view, but they hardly work. If you lean your fork/front wheel on the rack, the wheel turns and the bike falls. If you lean your rear wheel on the rack, the bike slides out.

  • NickS

    Going along with E’s comment about businesses using the sidewalk space for merchandise, I do see a couple places along 4th Ave that do that, but who does that space belong too? I thought most side walk space was city property. Plus, if those merchants want customers, there should be ample bike spaces available. The bike racks along 4th Ave are often full especially near Antigone’s, Cafe Passe and the Coop. I agree with the comment to add a car space for bikes like at Epic and Time Market. Thanks for installing those! How about a car space in the lot just north of Bumstead’s by the ATM for bikes? It’s off the street and would easy and safe for bikers to enter and exit. Where does Mr. Wong want people to park there bikes?

  • James

    I think the issue has to do more with shopping centers and box stores. They don’t want some law that has them having to put 50 bike racks in front of their business because the square footage of their building is high and the rules say it has to be 50 feet or less away. The bike racks on 4th aren’t provided by the businesses, they’re in public space.

    I wrote an email to the city council today arguing that closer bike parking has positives for A. Cyclists, B. The City, and C. Businesses. The cyclist positives are obvious. We get safe, consistent bike parking. The city gets to improve its bike friendly image for no cost in a time when they have no money. Businesses will see positives from having cyclists know their business caters to them. They just don’t see it that way right now. I also argue that businesses are not thinking “outside the sidewalk” when it comes to places to put bike parking. One bike rack in a converted parking space can house six or so bikes…

  • E.

    Looking at these developments from the air (I mean on the intenet — you don’t actually need an airplane anymore) puts the lie to all this whining about lack of space. The developments like the ones Mr. Wong is involved with are surrounded by a sea of asphalt divided into dozens if not hundreds of parking spaces. Why can’t he give up *one single parking space* for bicyclists? Why is that so much to ask?

  • bikesy

    Inverted U-Racks are designed to provide two points of contact. The way you’re describing how you’re using it seems to be incorrect. THe wheel-catcher racks like how you describe have a pretty good chance of bending the wheels. Best case scenario would be a rubber dipped rack which provides the two-point of contact.

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