Page 2 - commercial bike racks

Custom bike racks used by the Central Texas Council of Governments to encourage more bicycle riding and reduce air pollution

Sometimes a bike parking rack is more than a place to lock a bicycle.

In the case of the Central Texas Council of Governments, it's one more step toward creating cleaner air in a seven-county area.

With a grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the CTCOG recently purchased 60 custom bike racks from The Park and Facilities Catalog. These U-shaped, unique bike racks include a custom decal with the organization's air quality logo and an inspirational message: "Do your share for cleaner air."

A website, www.ctair.org is also listed to provide residents with additional information on air quality and how the public can get involved to make it cleaner.

This is more than just your standard bicycle parking rack - it's also a mini-billboard for a great cause.

The CTCOG, based out of Belton, TX, covers seven counties - San Saba, Mills, Hamilton, Lampasas,

A couple lock their bikes to commercial bike racks near a facility. Developers can earn LEED credits for adding bicycle parking racks to their apartment or office buildings

Did you know that you can earn LEED credits for  providing commercial bike racks at your facility?

LEED is a highly recognized third-party verification program for green buildings—it stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Its innovations are changing the way people think about planning and constructing buildings. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an incredible 1.85 million square feet of space is certified daily.

Property managers, homeowners, CEOs of businesses, and all kinds of people are interested in earning LEED credits with a goal of adding the credits up to a certification level: either Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. LEED Certification at any level translates into great things for a business.

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Bike commuter - cities are trying to find ways to accommodate and encourage this form of transportation over automobiles and mass transit

By Gerald Dlubala

"The increased number of bike users is very encouraging, given the less than ideal, and sometimes downright dangerous conditions, having to compete with extremely heavy motor vehicle traffic. But given the opportunity, people will take to the streets by bicycle."

That's the findings of a recent study, (October 2015), performed by Transportation Alternatives, a street safety advocacy group in New York.

Their study echoes many of the studies performed in major metropolitan areas on the topic of bicycle and pedestrian traffic, generally showing that the public has definite interest in bicycle use for transportation and commuting purposes, but the obstacles and concerns in doing so can keep those people from following through on that interest.

Common obstacles to bicycle commuting and increased recreational riding in metropolitan cities

Candace Wilson, a student at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, stands with her design for a custom bike rack to be installed on the campus

The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale teamed up with The Park and Facilities Catalog to create a custom bike rack to be permanently installed on their campus.

"We were very excited to work with The Park Catalog on this project," said Jeff LaLiberte, Director of Campus Relations at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. "We certainly believe in the benefits of bicycling as an alternative means of transportation to help the environment, reduce congestion in cities and promote a healthy lifestyle."

Chris Luyet, VP of Marketing and Business Development said, "We knew that with the help of these talented students we could build an artistic bike rack that attracts attention and inspires people to bicycle more and drive less."

Towns, schools, stores and offices can use commercial bike racks with a custom logo or message promote their brand to bicyclists

Jack the Bike Man Hairston in the charity's massive warehouse of bikes that are rebuilt and given to those in need

When some guys retire they like to spend their days playing golf. Not Jack Hairston. He likes to give away bikes. Not just a few of them, but thousands of them. To needy kids and their families.

"I just wanted to make the community a little bit better," he says, and adds "What else would I be doing?"

At the age of 75, Jack "The Bike Man" will be at it again this holiday season.

His bicycle giveaway is an annual spectacle in West Palm Beach, Fla., that attracts hundreds of families every year. From his enormous warehouse with the giant bicycle mural painted on the front, he and a dedicated team of volunteers distribute recycled bicycles to at-need children of all ages. This is an event that really can make a big difference for a child or family without a bike.

Jack's front door

They don't just give away bicycles and walk away either. The team of volunteers helps every new bike

Ford recognizes the growth of bike commuting and invests in GoBike progra

You would never expect a major automobile manufacturer to invest in bicycles, but that's exactly what Ford announced last month as they jump on the bandwagon for cities to offer more bicycles, more bike lanes and more bike parking racks as an alternative means of transportation.

Their investment in buying Chariot, a crowd-sourced shuttle service, and establishing Motivate, an urban bike sharing program, confused some investors and customers. But the investments are a timely decision that actually go hand-in-hand.

Part of Ford's future growth plan includes the subsidiary Ford Smart Mobility LLC, which is focused on investing in personal mobility beyond the traditional vehicle. The company can see the writing on the wall when it comes to bicycling as an alternative means of transportation and the increase in how cities are upgrading their bike lanes and bicycle parking racks.,

That's why they invested in Chariot, a

The newly popular position of city bicycle transportation engineer is responsible for everything from bike lanes to outdoor bike racks

By Gerald Dlubala

Bicycling and bike commuting are up overall across the nation. So are the number of bicycle transportation engineers.

Here's why. Bicycle ridership figures are up 60% over the last 15 years. But if you look at communities designated as "bicycle-friendly", meaning infrastructure, roads, outdoor bike racks and facilities conducive to bike riding and commuting, that figure jumps to more than a 100% increase. The willingness and desire to at least consider bicycling is there, given the opportunity through safe roads and ease of travel.

More cyclists on the road mean more bikes on the road, the same road that is home to daily car and public transportation commuters. Sharing the road is necessary, but has also shown to be a cause for concern.

According

Bike parking racks and cycling can help cut traffic jams like this at the Brooklyn Bridg

By Gerald Dlubala

Bike parking racks are more than just a place to lock a bike. They can have a substantial positive effect on saving cities a ton of money when it comes to overcrowded streets.

 "The overall economic impact is greatest in the U.S. where the estimated cumulative cost of traffic congestion by 2030 will be $2.8 trillion."

That's the findings of INRIX, a traffic intelligence and movement analysis company, in conjunction with The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). In a recent study of traffic and congestion predictions, it was determined that the cost of traffic congestion will grow substantially, up to a 50% increase by the year 2030.

Staggering numbers to say the least, but additionally, on an individual basis, congestion-related costs are already up to an estimated $1,740 per person and are expected to jump 60% by 2030. Much of this cost has to do with time wasted in

Adding more commercial bike racks will alleviate situations like thi

It's getting ugly out there. There are just not enough commercial bike racks on streets today to accommodate the growing surge in bicyclists. So defenseless trees are picking up the slack.

Be a hero. Give a bicyclist a place to park. Give a tree a break.

According to Statista, the number of Americans who biked in the past 12 months grew from 47 million in Spring 2008 to a whopping 66.7 million in the Spring of last year.

That's nearly 20 million more people who now ride a bicycle.

This type of behavior should be rewarded.

After all, bicyclists are doing their part. They are making your community a better place to live.

More of them are riding their bicycles downtown to work than driving. That frees up city streets. Cuts down on congestion. Makes it easier for others to park.

More people are also riding their bicycles to run to town or do errands.

All of this bicycle riding has a major impact on air quality, just like

Recovered bicycles waiting for owners (Source: Santa Cruz Police Department)

If your city has quite a few "sucker poles" where bicycles are stolen, adding commercial bike racks could make your business a hero to bicyclists.

What is a "sucker pole?" It's a name given to sign posts and other objects that at first appear to be a safe place to park a bike. However, these poles are generally not as secure as they look and can easily be unscrewed from their mountings or even just yanked out of the ground.

Many a disgruntled bicycle owner has returned to where they thought they parked their bike securely, only to find out, the item they hooked the bike to was not secure at all. Certainly not as anchored as a bona fide bike rack.

And with the high price of many bicycles today, the incentive for thievery is certainly there.

In fact, some bike theft rings (yes, just like organized auto theft rings) know exactly where these "sucker poles" are located and frequently drive around town in a van, ready

High Trestle Trail covering 25 miles is very popular with bicyclists. Photo by Iowa Natural Heritage Foundatio

Which of these items create more long-term jobs, bike racks or bridges? The answer seems obvious, doesn't it? Or does it?

According to a recent study by the National Recreation and Parks Association, you might be surprised the economic impact that can result from improvements in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Cities across the country are finding this out. Why add more roads and bridges? When you think about it, adding more highways also creates more ways for people to pass through a city.

But when you fix up an area by adding more bike racks, bike paths, pedestrian walkways, pedestrian malls, etc., you are actually creating a way for people to spend more time in a city. You create a destination.

The NRPA facts bear this out. They determined:

How to correctly lock a bike to a bike rack - Source: Los Angeles Police Departmen

Providing an adequate number of bike parking racks in the right location is just one way that site managers can help prevent bike thefts and curb the growing trend in stolen bicycles across the country.

Bicycle theft is not a petty crime anymore. Today's bicycles can average from $300 to $400 in price and run as high as $5,000. That's a major temptation for crooks.

One major obstacle is that bicycle theft is generally not considered a top priority for most overworked police departments. For this and other reasons, many people don't even bother to report a theft when their bike is stolen.

But the numbers are adding up. According to FBI statistics, their data indicates that 250,000 bicycles are reported stolen every year.

However, experts suggest the number of bike thefts is actually FIVE times that amount. That would mean more than 1 MILLION bicycles are ripped off every year. That is a significant crime wave.

Commercial bike rack with bicycle rider desig

It's not often a person stands up and questions the mega-corporation known as Walmart. But when it comes to a commercial bike rack, that's just what one Jupiter, Fla. person did at a recent town meeting.

Walmart is expanding their store in this southeastern Florida town from 128,000 square feet to 165,000 square feet and spending about $12 million to make the change.

Except, there was a perception somebody may have forgotten the bicycle parking racks. At least, that's what Polly Daugherty feared after she reportedly spoke to a few employees at the store who apparently told her they didn't think a bike rack would be added.

So Polly showed up at the town meeting and wanted to know why. After all she said, Jupiter is a "green town."

There is a happy ending to this story. Protests weren't required. Or a petition drive. Town planners quickly assured her that a commercial bike rack is required and in fact, a certificate of occupancy would not have