Charlottesville Transit Service is ready to move ahead with new bicycle racks at bus stations! They want to try and locate them in places where they would also be useful to other bicyclists, so they came to ACCT looking for specific suggestions. This is a great opportunity to put our local knowledge to work! Their focus is on the city, but they also want to know about needs in the County. Below are my initial thoughts on the topic - please add your suggestions or discuss mine before I send them all in on Wednesday, October 21!
Transit station - The west side of the transit station would be a great place for new bike racks. Alot of people approach the station from the mall or coming east down Water St, and the current bicycle racks are a little out of the way for them. I just went down there to take a look at the whole scene around the station, and low-and-behold, there were two bikes locked up to a trash can and a tree on the west side of the transit station (and none at the existing bike racks)! Specifically, I think locating the new racks closer to the road, on the grassy patch or next to the building, would be a good place because they would be visible and convenient for people coming either from the mall or from Water St., and close to both entrances.
Transit station - The west side of the transit station would be a great place for new bike racks. Alot of people approach the station from the mall or coming east down Water St, and the current bicycle racks are a little out of the way for them. I just went down there to take a look at the whole scene around the station, and low-and-behold, there were two bikes locked up to a trash can and a tree on the west side of the transit station (and none at the existing bike racks)! Specifically, I think locating the new racks closer to the road, on the grassy patch or next to the building, would be a good place because they would be visible and convenient for people coming either from the mall or from Water St., and close to both entrances.
The Corner - If there is any way you could upgrade the clunky yellow rack in front of Bodos/Starbucks, that has been an issue for years, and is also a very high-use area for bike parking. It is right next to bus stop at BofA and across the street from another one.
Tonsler Park - racks somewhere close to the entrance would serve the popular picnicking spot down by the sidewalk and the grills, and also the basketball courts there. Since this area is very popular with locals in the warm months, I would try to be sensitive to how people use the space when choosing an exact location so as not to encroach. And, if there aren't racks near the entrance of the community center there, there should be!
The Hospital - the racks in front of Jordan Hall (across the street from a bus stop) usually seem quite full.
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8 comments:
Good for CTS. I'd like to see another rack at the Water St. entrance to west side of the downtown mall. The one spot there is often taken, and this is an important gateway into the pedestrian mall (where bicyclists can't ride). There's plenty of room as well.
I agree with the Corner. Students fill up those racks quickly.
Maybe also near a couple of the stops along W. Main.
I always walk to Tonsler, but now that I think of it I can't picture any bike racks at the entrance to the park. There really should be.
There should be a bike rack located in the vicinity of the City Market. At this time the only option that I am aware of is locking one's bike to street signs or fences.
Hi Vince,
I can not seem to find a bike rack near cville coffee/circa/crazy
horse studio over near allied road and harris street. Bikes are
usually locked to light poles.
Best,
Thomas
The corner of Monticello & Elliott avenues
Here are my top 10 desired bike rack locations along the CTS bus routes:
1) Farmers Market downtown
2) Barracks Road Shopping Center (at grocery stores)
3) Outside Region Ten at 800 Preston Avenue
4) Outside Reids on Preston Avenue
5) Near the Health Department on Rose Hill Drive
6) Near the Walker Elementary School and Buford Middle School
7) Outside the Albemarle County office building on corner of Preston and McIntire
8) Outside the Gordon Avenue Library
9) Outside the Northside Library
10) Outside the Kmart on Hydraulic
And I agree, more on the Corner would be great...
Here's my list. Some of these stops might already have racks. It seems from some of the other comments here that a lot of the places that need bike racks aren't at CTS bus stops but elsewhere in the City - and on private property. Those spots might be tough for CTS to justify as transit-related bike racks.
In the City:
-Belmont Park
-Health Dept on Rose Hill Dr
-800 Preston Ave – Region Ten
-Monticello Rd at Druid Ave - for people biking from nearby neighborhoods
In the County:
-Barracks/Georgetown: at the closest stops to the intersection, for people who must bike in on Barracks to/from Old Salem due to Route 5 no longer serving that area
-Rio Rd at Putt-Putt
-Fashion Square (there must be one there, right?)
-One of the stops in Southwood – maybe the community center for residents, or maybe the one closest to Old Lynchburg for rural-area cyclists who can bike in that far and catch the bus the rest of the way.
Mainstreet market ... yes there is one for ~4 bikes. Not enough, it's always crowded.
Yes, and it's not located conveniently if come in the 4th St entrance.
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