A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Courtesy of TriMet
A rendering shows the bike parking facility that could be built at the Beaverton Transit Center. TriMet is following the model of bicycle capitals of the world, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, by building parking facilities for bus and MAX riders.
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TriMet is investing $1 million of federal stimulus money to build 250 new secured bike parking spots at Beaverton and Sunset transit centers and to replace 100 old bike parking spots outside downtown Portland.
General Manager Fred Hansen announced the investment at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance annual awards dinner Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center. The investment is a response to the increased number of bikers, whose bicycles can’t be squeezed onto MAX trains or buses.
MAX trains can hold four bicycles, while buses can only hold two.
“More riders are using bikes to get to transit, and with limited options for bringing bikes on board, having more secure bike parking facilities helps to make the bike/transit connection work,” TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said in a news release. “We know that bikes and transit make the region more accessible, and adding more facilities will make the bike/transit connection more reliable.”
The 250 new lockers will increase TriMet’s bike locker total by 65 percent.
With $1.7 million more from stimulus funding, TriMet will build bicycle parking at five other transit centers — Barbur, Gateway, Hollywood, Tigard and Orenco — adding 525 more bike parking spots.
Bike lockers are popular at many of TriMet’s transit centers. Lockers are rented for $15 for four months, with a $50 refundable key deposit.
Lockers are open at several transit stations along the westside MAX line. There are waiting lists at TriMet’s large transit centers for bike locker rentals.
TriMet also plans to double the number of secure places for bicycles on each Westside Express commuter train from Wilsonville to downtown Beaverton. WES trains can carry only two bikes on each run. Under federal law, the bikes must be secured on hooks. If bike hooks are occupied, WES riders with bikes must wait for the next train.
They could save money on that shelter if they did a single roof slope instead of a gabled roof.
By the way, if that's a metal roof, why not slip some translucent panels as skylights, to keep that thing nice and bright? They're cheap enough...cheaper than the metal panels, in some cases.
And hopefully those semi-translucent wall panels are steel mesh instead of acrylic or glass panels, to cut down on maintenance costs resulting from graffiti.
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I DID NOT KNOW THAT BIKES HAD TO STAY DRY???
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 02:13 PM
What about the bike riders in Gresham?
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 04:08 PM
Let's do the math on the new bike shelters. 250 bike spaces for $1,000,000 turns out to be $4000/bike space. The current spaces rent for $45/year. If these are the same, it will take just under 89 years to break even, and that is without any ongoing maintenance costs.
Seems to me this is a great example to illustrate the importance of having people with some business experience working in local, regional, state and federal government.
I am sure there are some advantages to having these lockers that has nothing to do with money but with this kind of ROI(return on investment) there had better be some amazing advantages.
Another question is this. Does spending stimulus money in this way really stimulate the economy? Seems to me this is giving away a few short term jobs and after the shelters are done, the jobs are done.
How about if stimulus money was invested in local business that is able to create permanant jobs. This is a recipe for sustainable growth rather than just spending money to meet the percieved needs of a minority of people.
Just a thought.
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 04:56 PM
just from what they cost, since we all benefit from more transit riders and fewer cars on the road.
I don't know finances but like the progressive move towards more bike-friendly travel.
P.S. I'm disabled and no longer ride bikes, but am happy for those who do.
I look forward to the safer designs for bike lanes that have more separation from traffic than just painted lines.
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 07:06 PM
If transit continues to grow as it has It will carry 2.0 percent of urban travel in just 13 years. In 50 years, it will reach 3 percent, 4 percent in a mere 76 years, and 5 percent in 96 years.
Transit and bike riding does little or nothing to reduce congestion. There are not enough people using it.
(email verified)
Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 07:17 AM
As a Bicyclist I take offense to ILK like Erik H. who is so closed minded. I pay the Tri-met fair and have the RIGHT to ride. How about all the riders who ride to the airport with all their luggage and take more room, they ought to pay extra. Or have ILK like Erik H. who probably doesn't have a life except to whine. Life is too short to tolerate ILK like ERIK H.
(email verified)
Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 09:44 AM
Eric,
Aftervreading your comments it is obvious you did not read the story!
(email verified)
Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Notorious Kelly wrote: "just from what they cost, since we all benefit from more transit riders and fewer cars on the road."
Well, I ride transit, do not use a bike (so I don't require the expense of bike stations, bike lanes and so on)...so shouldn't I get a "bigger" benefit?
Yet the Stimulus package bypasses bus riders entirely. Yes, Merlo Garage gets a $13.5 million car wash & gas station. There's about $2 million left over for replacing concrete at Merlo and Center Street Garages, some street repair downtown on 3rd & 4th Avenues, and a few Transit Tracker signs on the cross-mall bus stops (the stops on Columbia & Jefferson Streets) which costs $200K.
So, for all the bus riders in Portland, they get $200K.
For all the bike riders (who ride TriMet), $1 million.
MAX riders get even more, and the Streetcar gets $75 million for a completely unnecessary, unneeeded Streetcar line so that Metro employees won't have to stand in the rain for the 6 bus anymore or run in the rain to the MAX stop a couple blocks north.
(email verified)
Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 12:24 PM
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Re: TriMet adds more bike lockers to transit centers
Let me see if I get this straight.
I pay a fare to ride TriMet. I am not guaranteed a ride on a bus, or that my bus shows up, or even a safe place to wait for the bus.
BUT...a bicyclist who DOES NOT PAY additional for the bike (despite the fact that the bike takes up the space as two additional passengers), gets more capacity (not granted towards any bus rider), more reliable bike access (not granted towards any bus rider), and a safe place to park their bike (not granted towards any bus rider) - and at NO EXTRA COST.
One of two things is wrong:
1. TriMet needs to drop the fare I pay, since I'm getting a fraction of the service.
2. TriMet needs to start charging a bike fare. (And while you're at it, charge to park at a park-and-ride lot, too.)
Both of those steps will go a long ways towards funding TriMet's NON-TRANSIT investments, and increasing revenue when times are tough.
"Erik H."
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 12:12 PM