Why Don’t We Have A Bike Parking Ordinance?

All the time say it is unfair to compare St. Louis to a bigger city such as Chicago or New York. I still think those are fair comparisons because they are simply bigger versions of what we have. But, I’ll go along with the critics that want a more balanced comparison. What if we compared the City of St. Louis to Springfield Missouri? When it comes to bicycle provisions they’ve got us beat.

Springfield has amended their “Land Development Code” to require off-street bike parking throughout their city. In fact, the one place that is exempt is their downtown. Springfield felt it is the city’s responsibility to provide such parking in the public right of way in the downtown area with a couple of exceptions. It is everywhere else that bike parking is required.

You want to build a new Wal-Mart with a huge parking lot? No problem, but you’ll have to provide bike parking as well. And not some tired old dish drainer type of rack that only holds the front wheel. Here is how they defined a bike rack:

“A bicycle parking facility that is fastened to a mounting surface, can accommodate up to two (2) bicycles, can support each bicycle by its frame in two (2) places and, allows the use of a cable lock or U shaped lock to protect bicycles from theft.”

Perfect. This definition of a bike rack eliminates all of the bike racks that are useless that people try to pass off as providing bike parking. This also leaves out the phallic bike racks on Washington Avenue East of Tucker. If only they had left them out literally. The ordinance includes a simple graphic of the types of racks meeting this definition as well as a provision for the city staff to approve a custom rack meeting the qualifications.

Let’s suppose you want to build that new big box in Springfield and the code says you need 250 auto spaces. You are also going to need six (6) bike spaces which, based on the above definition, means three separate racks holding no more than two bikes. Excellent. The ordinance’s supporting documents make reference that a 14,280sf Walgreen’s would need 3 bike spaces under the code which would mean two of the two-bike racks. The code also requires that bike parking be dispersed at various public entrances. Very good.

What is more amazing is their Chamber of Commerce and developers seem to have supported the ordinance. What is in their water?

Click here for a PDF copy of the ordinance
(first 7 pages) including background materials and letters of support from local Springfield cycling organizations.

So here is my challenge to the City of St. Louis and all the counties & municipalities in our region — where are our bike parking ordinances? People all the time say you’ve got to have parking. They are usually referring to plenty of free car parking. If it is true for motorists it is just as true for cyclists.

It is totally unfair to not provide bike parking and then say we are not going to provide bike parking because nobody bikes.

– Steve