Thursday, January 31, 2013

Bike Corrals - Factors to Keep in Mind While Designing




There are number of practices that have been adopted so far when it comes to constructing bike-parking areas. In fact, one of the major concerns for employers is the arrangement of parking space for bikes that are covered by the cycle to work scheme. A few pointers should be kept in mind while planning for the bike parking space. These include:

Visibility:

A cycle parking area should be easy to locate. It is not a good idea to hide the parking area from open view. Positioning the cycle parking area in a corner of the underground car parking space can lead to the staff remaining unaware of its presence. Instead of publicizing its location, it is better that the same is moved to an open location.

Accessibility:

The area for Bike Corrals should be preferably located at a distance of 20m-30m from the office. Making space for it close to the entrance would definitely have a positive impact on the employees and more and more of them would be encouraged to take up the scheme.

Ensuring Complete Safety and Security:

The parking area should be completely secured. Railings should be installed on one end and the bike wheels and frame should be firmly locked with it. The staff using the parking space should feel that their property is completely safe against any kind of security threats. Installation of a CCTV and additional lighting equipment will serve the purpose.

Easy Maintenance and Management

The stands should be strong enough to provide support for all kinds of bikes and be easy to use. A difficult arrangement may dissuade people from opting for the cycle scheme. The cycle stands should have a robust finish so that there are minimum chances of the bike sustaining damage. If possible, employees should be assigned a cycle locker each. It is necessary to monitor the stands regularly so that arrangements can be made in case the space is exhausted or for the removal of bikes that have been abandoned.

Designing a Covered Parking Space:

Instead of arranging for bike parking corrals in the open, it is advisable to develop a covered parking space. You need to ensure that the bikes are protected against all the external elements.

Attractive Parking Equipments

Using attractive parking equipments would definitely add to the appearance of the parking space. It should be of an appropriate size and the color scheme should complement the surroundings.

Proper Entrance to the Parking Area

Cycle parking should be done in accordance with off-road and on-road cycle network. Difficult road conditions should not end up causing barriers to smooth parking. On the contrary, you should make sure that the entrance to the parking area is well planned for the benefit of the cyclists.

It is necessary to ensure that the arrangement for cycle parking does not get in the way of any other activity. If the parking area is appropriately located, there are minimum chances of this getting in the way of any other activity. Therefore, it is necessary that it is located in full view. At the same time, it should not emerge as an obstruction.

The University of Kentucky looks to join the ranks of some of the country's elite bicycle friendly campuses



Sacramento, CA - The University of Kentucky is taking great strides in redeveloping their bicycle parking Infrastructure.The University recently purchased new bicycle racks for the campus and campus housing, which has been planned as a multi phase build project. The new bicycle friendly rack, the Varsity Bike Dock™, comes equipped with a number of unique features and benefits that are sure to be a hit with their campus commuters.
 


The Varsity Bike Dock™,a Park a Bike, inc. product, is both manufactured and distributed in the United States. The unit secures two bicycles and comes equipped with trademarked "Smart Guards", which can easily be defined as a bumper guard of sorts. The Smart Guards have been customized to brand the University bike rack as well as prevent metal to metal contact between the bike and the rack, which helps keep both in better condition. The unit has also been designed to offer simple and intuitive locking through the well positioned locking loops which are sure to help turn the novice bicycle parker into a professional. The locking loops make it simple for commuters to lock both their front wheel and frame to the rack with a recommended U Lock,  which helps increase overall security.


The Unit  also comes equipped with a QR tag on the top of the dock, and when scanned with any smart phone, plays a smart and safe bicycle parking video that not only demonstrates how to properly lock a bike, thwarting would be thieves, but also sends some additional examples of bicycle commuting best practices. QR scanners are easy to find and a quick search on a phones application library will find a number of free QR scanners.


The Varsity Bike Dock™also helps control the bikes footprint with the help of the patented wheel trough. The wheel troughs will not only help secure the bicycles footprint, but they also help prevent the bicycle from slipping or tipping over



The University is making great strides towards becoming a truly bicycle friendly campus. One might not think of bike corrals as much, but giving students a product that functions great, easy to use, and educates - seems to be a pedal in the right direction. To learn more about the Varsity Bike Dock or other innovative covered bicycle parking products designed by Park a Bike, please visit www.parkabike.com or contact us via email at info@parkabike.com.


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