PR: Mayor Slay, Downtown Partnership Announce Downtown Bike Center
The following is a press release:
Mayor Francis G. Slay, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, the Downtown CID and Loftworks today announced that the funding is finalized to create the region’s first public commuter bike center.
The public Downtown Bike Center will offer cyclists a place to secure their bike, store their bike gear, and shower before coming to work. The City anticipates these services will be available late this Fall for a monthly fee.
The public Downtown Bike Center will use 1300 square feet of the ground floor of the 1011 Locust Street building, which is owned by Loftworks. The building that will house the bike station is right downtown – located on the northwest corner of Locust and Tenth Streets – and is within two blocks of a Metrolink station. The building has been restored using Historic Tax Credits, and is on track to obtain LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
The City of St. Louis applied for a Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the Department of Energy to specifically fund this project. These funds were designated for energy-saving projects, and had to be approved by the Department of Energy. From the grant the City received, $181,600 will cover the costs to buy the lockers, interior bike racks, and fund the operational costs of the Downtown Bike Center’s first two years. The Downtown Community Improvement District and other partners will provide additional funding.
“We are building a City that provides an attractive way of life. After World War II, the car was a symbol of freedom. For some people today, it is just the opposite,†said Mayor Slay. “We look forward to working with the Downtown St. Louis CID and Loftworks to ensure the long-term success of this public bike center and the City’s cycling initiative.â€
“This project will help cement Downtown as a walkable, livable neighborhood where you can rely on alternatives to the car,†said Maggie Campbell, Partnership President and CEO. “We are thrilled to be working with the community to realize this sustainable investment.â€
“Since vehicle emissions contribute about a third of the Greenhouse Gasses into the environment, we wanted to use these ARRA Stimulus funds to promote an alternative mode of transportation,†said Catherine Werner, the City’s Sustainability Director. “By enabling St. Louis commuters to choose cycling as an affordable and attractive option, the City is demonstrating its commitment to being a healthy and sustainable community.â€pre
Good. Now for more bicycle parking around the city. Maybe they could open it up for more than regular commuters. They could have a space for people who could pay for one time use, like parking meters.
Mayor Slay is such an Orwellian savant. How dare he attack auto usage when he's built so many garages and lots! Why is this a big deal anyway? Shouldn't all office buildings have a mini version of this inside already?
Large buildings and employers have such options but smaller buildings and employers don't. I could see an employee of Left Bank Books, for example, using this new bike station.
It's a big step in the right direction.
Why is this a big deal? First, you find ways to do the small things like this to secure grants like what is proposed in East West Tiger II app that puts real money into the north side Trestle green way project. Two, its a big deal because you get something done in order to change mindsets no matter how small it is. Talk is cheap, mine, yours or whoever.
“…the car was a symbol of freedom. For some people today, it is just the opposite,â€. Yeah, I think that it has to some extent enslaved us. At least as long as one owns a vehicle. Good news for those who take a bicycle to work, though. 'Bout time you cyclists got a bone thrown at you. Must have been like pulling your own teeth to get this.
It'll be great if you work within a couple of blocks, but after that, riding makes more sense than walking . . . hopefully, this is successful and generates spinoffs, but I have my doubts . . .
JZ71, The prize in my mind is what was submitted by East West Gateway for Tiger II grants. They have a connectivity grant that incorporates funding for the Northside Trestle Greenway and more trails on the east side, coupled with money for infrastructure connecting downtown. This might be a small puzzle to a bigger greenway/bike path plan but it will undoubtly be needed if some funding for big chunks come through nor does it hurt to have these projects in place in order to get the big piece.
I think the Greenway corridor plan is by fat the best way to improve quality of life for residents considering the region is without mountains, a major lake, beaches or oceans to lure people. Instead, the overall plan endorses a great systems of rivers as well as small creeks that have made St. Louis. I think some leadership is starting to recognize that or at least East West Gateway has finally embraced it as part of the transit model for the area. Another big step!
First, bike commuting is a good thing – I did it for 10 years in Denver, without a bike station, just a bike rack in the parking garage. The one “amenity” that was critical was the availabiliy of company-owned vehicles that we could check out to go to offsite client meetings.
Two, there's been a huge increase in urban, adult bike ridership in Chicago. Since their weather and infrastructure is more-closely matched to St. Louis' than Denver's, it'd be informative to learn what's “working” up there – bike stations? bike lanes? costs and hassles of auto parking? attitudes? transit? different scooter laws (no 49 cc exemption)? stronger leadership? I seriously don't know, but I'm liking the results . . .