Bike Pittsburgh

Bike Rack Utilization

I've been toying with the idea of trying to find a way to quantify all the cycling activity that I am seeing this summer. It occurred to me that a count of bikes at bike racks around town might be a good start. So, at lunch today, I verified that at the Smithfield/Liberty PPA Garage, 17 of 22 bike slots were full. At the potentially risky Mellon PPA garage, 4 of about 10 bike slots were full. The four slots at the Regional Enterprise Tower were also full.

For the record, I consider a BP type rack to be capable of holding two bikes, and a standard old-fashioned rack to hold one bike per slot.

The portico on the PPA Smithfield garage is filled to overflowing most mornings, but they have five additional racks down below, near the auto exit to Liberty that were only half full.

What'd you see today?

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

anyone on craig st? that street is usually packed. there's the one bp rack in front of kiva han, one slot style one about mid block, and another bp rack over by fifth. every meter is usually taken and most trees.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

today at the science center there were five bikes parked.. i assume they were all employees or camp staff. usually there are only one or two.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

on the weekends the racks in front of whole foods are packed beyond capacity and more than half full during the week.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

The rack in Chatham garage usually has three bikes each day. I believe the other two are also people sho work ine one of the two builds.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

Rack utilization is lighter today than yesterday. Regional Enterprise Tower again full to overflowing (bikes locked to signs/parking meters), but PPA Mellon only has two bikes, and the Smithfield garage has 12 of 22 spaces occupied. Were riders discouraged by the heavy fog this morning? I was!

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

That fog SUCKED. Heading out across 279 to West View this morning was like riding into the Nothing

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

yesterday not only were there six bikes on the rack at the sci center (which was its limit given the scaffolding that has obstructed it for a year) there were three bikes locked to a tree in the lot and one inside the stairwell.

in my other workplace, there are now three bikes in the stairwell (there are no bikeracks.. boo!)

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

Lots of bikes this week in the racks at my building (Wharton Towers in the South Side), and a good mix of "real" bikes and "lost-my-license" bikes (usually the lost-my-license bike count is higher).

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

At the end of Grant St. at 1st Ave (the end of the Eliza Furnace Trail) there have been 4 or 5 bikes including my own. There has also been a scooter that I had never seen before.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

in my other workplace, there are now three bikes in the stairwell (there are no bikeracks.. boo!)

ask!

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

Bikes are definitely more preavlent than before. When I walk downtown (before work, at lunch, etc), I rarely DON'T see a bike at some point. It used to be rare for me to see one. And, on the days when I commute in by bike, I almost always see at least one other person riding to same route. The racks in my part of downtown (Sixth and Smithfield) are generally full, and are occasionally full to overflowing.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

Liberty/Smithfield PPA garage, 3pm today, 3 bikes inside (holds 10), 8 bikes outside just off of Smithfield (close to limit).

A central spot like this should be able to handle 50 bikes, IMHO.

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

its rare that i don't pass one person going up the hill on forbes to sq hill, and common that i see 3 or 4 bikes on that stretch... record being 7 on a saturday afternoon... its pretty awesome

RE: Bike Rack Utilization

I have observed the same thing. The bike racks at Whole Foods were always popular, but I never had a problem finding a place to lock my bike up before this summer.

When I first started commuting to work downtown, it was a real surprise to see anyone on a bike besides a handful of messengers. There were two or three other bikes that I came to recognize, and I wouldn't be surprised if the total number was under a dozen. There are also a lot more bikes around in Bloomfield this summer than there were last year and more last year than the year before. I'll truly be impressed when I start seeing them out there after October (with lights, I wish).

As great as the additional bikes seem to be, I wonder if they aren't also a sign that (a) people have relatively less disposable income than they used to (b) mass transit is increasingly less useful due to less frequent busses and route cutbacks. And that's too bad. I know I'm riding more this summer than last, partly for both reasons.