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Monday, August 3, 2009
Finding safe haven for bike at work not easy
The decision to commute by bike to work was a simple one for me. My office has showers available, there are multiple routes to and from work and my bike rack was basically an entire newsroom.
Granted, I parked my Roubaix in a low traffic area next to my department, but space was not really a problem. When I first began this process, nobody really said much. I got a few comments like: “cool bike” and “how far is your home from here?” But it wasn’t really a big deal. Not many people were commuting by bike, and the ones who were used the bike racks outside. That wasn’t an option for me. That Roubaix was too expensive to get stolen, and at the time I would not have been able to afford another one.
Then out of the blue, a security guard told me that I could not park my bike inside anymore. I had a few discussions with those in charge and it turned out to be OK. I understand the original point, if everyone decided to ride to work and refused to use the racks outside, then there wouldn’t be much room for people in the workplace.
The problem is that old bike racks and most locks can be easily conquered by thieves. So what’s the solution? I think New York is on the right track. …
The New York City Council passed the Bicycle Access Bill last week. When signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the new law will enable bike commuters to bring their bikes into the workplace.
The Bicycle Access Bill requires commercial buildings to allow bicyclists entry, provided there is space set aside by their respective employers to accommodate them.
My only problem with this new bill is that they have to allow bicyclists entry provided there is space set aside by the company.
Well, what if there’s not space set aside? Many companies probably won’t want to spend the money to clear space for bikes.
At least it’s a start. My hope is that this bill could be sponsored and brought to the Legislative Session in Texas next year.
