MyWHaT

New York City is taking steps to raise the status of bike commuters by  Clearing a Path for Bikes in City Office Buildings. It’s a law protecting and providing for bike commuters. Now, they can take their bikes upstairs to the office where they are more assured it will be protected from theft.  New York City has seen an increase in bike commuting by 26% in the last year. In conjunction, the city has focused resources on expanding the transportation network and worked to create a more accepting culture for active modes of transportation.

Compare that to the Traverse City Commission and the Downtown Development Authority, which claim that they are prioritizing the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists, but have yet to implement a robust network or connectivity plan. Both have provided some positive initiatives, but main corridors & a general promotion of non-motorized commuting has yet to materialize. There remain key areas that present real concern.

A coming test will be how the city approaches the proposed parking deck at west end. If they choose to move forward and spend $10 million dollars on the west end parking deck, will they consider adding amenities to the structure for non-motorized commuters?

Here is a quick list of possible additions & impact they could include:

• warming area (promotion of year-round non-motorized commuting; provide meeting place)
• lockers (store it and go! Not just bike lockers, but lockers for storage)
• dedicated, indoor parking for bicycles (provides a safe overnight option)
• free-Air (for bikes, as well as cars, to promote optimal air pressure & fuel economy)
• restrooms (no comment, do we have any public restrooms?)
• Showers (If you really want to be forward thinking)
• drinking fountains (hydrate people)
• street furniture (encourage people to rest, converse, meet or otherwise utilize public space)

In addition, how about really stepping it up with: priority parking for compacts & hybrids, a green roof built to code so that it may be used as a city park, solar-panels…

What amenities can you think of to a parking deck that would demonstrate that city truly values pedestrian, bicycle and transit commuters?

If you can’t afford the above amenities, can you really afford the project?