Promoting the Status Quo?

Continuing upon the last post. According to the Nationals website, the new Nationals Stadium is “bike friendly” with “250 bike racks” surrounding the stadium and nearby. Needless to say, “bike rack” isn’t very specific. Does this mean 250 separate locations with multiple attachment points, or does it mean 250 attachment points? And the burning question: do any of these racks look suspiciously like “NO PARKING” signs or street lights? Best case scenario (250 separate locations) means a significant number of bicycle parking spots; I would estimate as many as 2,000 bicycles (8 per location) could be accommodated. Worst case is about 500 bicycles maximum chained two to a post, handlebars crossed, brake lines tangled, and pedals in spokes. There is nothing like pouring out of the stadium after a Nationals loss to find a few bent spokes and a scratched frame.

The numbers sound impressive, but let’s look at this compared to typical automobile parking garage capacities. A 500 automobile capacity parking garage would be considered nowhere near enough capacity for a venue designed to seat up to 66,000 paying fans at once! The driving public would be immediately up in arms, and the media would swarm to cover the poor families who can no longer drive to the afternoon ballgame. Let’s also imagine a scenario in which cars had to be parked close enough together that doors could barely be opened without damaging another car, or perhaps literally bumper to bumper. Totally unacceptable, yet somehow when bicycles are involved, it’s no big deal. After all, they’re just bikes.

Then again, one has to weight the consequences of over-legitimizing the bike parking gig. Complain as I may, I have trouble liking the idea of a multi-story concrete bicycle parking garage, much less one in which one is charged a fee to park their bicycle. Part of the fun of bike ownership is getting places quickly on the cheap, with the satisfaction of knowing that you can park your bike almost anywhere; railings, street signs, perhaps even the occasional bike rack if it is available. Metered parking for bicycles would literally make me cry.

As a caveat, I do believe that DC is taking huge strides in promoting bicycle use and safety within the city limits, and the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA) is doing a fantastic job in promoting bicycle use for commuting and pleasure. For example, bike valets staffed by WABA volunteers are present at numerous public events. Offhand, I can think of two: the 4th of July fireworks at the mall and the green convention at the Washington Convention Center.

Not that biking in certain areas of DC need much promoting, or to the population of mid-30’s and older folks who can afford a high-end road bikes who live near the northwest Maryland-DC border. If you’ve ever walked, driven, or even ridden a bike at less than peleton speed on the bridge near the DC-Maryland border, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’d feel safer crossing 16th Street at rush hour than braving a relaxed bike ride on the same road as these guys on a Sunday morning. One minute you’re enjoying the solitude and relaxed pace, perhaps on your way to the grocery store, the next minute you’re surrounded by shaved legs, old-guy smell, and slurping noises as Accelerade is sucked down by the gallon.