Bike Parking App: Snap a Rack, Build a Map

Rack Locator

Nathaniel Burnett, cycling enthusiast and founder of The Bicycle Parking Project, hopes that his app will eliminate one excuse people have for not riding their bikes. The app utilizes both external data sources and user-generated content to create a map of existing bike racks. Users can plan ahead or instantly locate bike parking near their destination without scrambling to find a secure rack on foot.

Publicly available data from many metropolitan areas including New York, San Francisco, and Chicago have already been imported into the app, populating several thousand bike racks per city. App users have occasionally supplied city data, too. A cyclist in Omaha, Nebraska, wanted local racks to be included on the map. He contacted the city to request the required information and forwarded the resulting data file to Nathaniel. Omaha’s bike racks were on the map later that same day.

Users can add individual bike racks by quickly snapping and submitting a photo through the app. The new location marker and corresponding photo detail is displayed in real time, though Nathaniel monitors all submissions and deletes any that aren’t legitimate. User-added rack locations have popped up across the globe, including cities in Europe, India, Australia, and South America. Users can also report location markers where the rack is missing, typically due to an error in the data file.

DIY Rack Mapping

Adding the rack photo to the map

A pin indicates the rack has been added

Before creating his own, Nathaniel tried using another bike parking app. He was disappointed that the new racks he submitted were never incorporated into the map and wanted his version to empower fellow cyclists to actively develop this community resource. The more users interact with the app, the more refined and helpful the map will become.

For cyclists who don’t need help finding parking, the app has one additional tool: it allows users to drop a pin to mark the location of their bike. In areas where bike racks are prevalent or in unfamiliar neighborhoods, this feature ensures riders don’t forget where they parked.

The Bicycle Parking Project app is available for both iOS and Android. While the number of downloads is still in the thousands, the positive feedback Nathaniel has received from users encourages him to continue the work. As the map becomes more comprehensive in local areas, it may also become a resource that city officials and business owners utilize to identify where there is an absence of bicycle parking.

Header Image Courtesy CC: Diane Yee

Bike Room of the Month: The Emery

The Emery, a 7-story apartment building in Portland’s rapidly growing South Waterfront neighborhood, wears its eco credentials on its sleeve. A tight cluster of high-efficiency apartments, located next to a streetcar, light rail and aerial tram station and a major bike route, the Emery is actively marketed toward young professional singles and couples interested in active transportation and low-car living. For a building like this, a great bike facility is a necessity, not an amenity.

·        1061 Square Feet, with plenty of circulating room

·        160 Wall-mounted Stirrup Racks, black powder coat finish

·        Keycard Access and 24/7 security camera monitoring

An additional 20 Stirrup Racks are mounted in a publicly accessible hallway next to the bike room, providing covered parking for visitors and employees of the restaurants on the Emery’s ground floor. In smart, modern buildings like the Emery, every bike gets a civilized place to park.

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IMAGES VIA www.theemerypdx.com

Are you making it easy on bike thieves?

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Have you had a bike stolen this year? It wouldn't be surprising. In 2014, over one million dollars worth of bikes were stolen from owners in Portland.

Our fair city has been featured in the national news for bike theft, and even international visitors have had their bikes stolen (and luckily found again) on their way through town. 

Local business owner, J. Allard of the Project 529, wondered if we have some Mission-Impossible level bike thieves here in Portland. Is it special ops bike thieves or misguided folks tying their bikes to racks with rope and hoping nobody comes along with a pair of scissors that is causing the problem? 

J and his team conducted a census of 2,500-bike riders this summer to get to the heart of the issue. The team explored how Portlanders were locking up their bikes and it is an eye-opening read. 

“60% of bikes secured only the frame or a wheel, but not both. Thieves routinely will grab an unsecured front wheel from one bike and seek out a second bike securing only the front wheel and assemble a fully ridable and sellable bike in minutes in dense parking areas with little suspicion from passerby.
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— J. Allard, Project 529

And really…did someone actually lock their bike up with a piece of rope? Find out here in J's article "Dear Portland, Please Stop Making Things So Easy for Bike Thieves."

Vandal-Proofing: Safety Bolts

We make our bike rack installations as difficult as possible for thieves to remove or tamper with, without taking extreme measures. 

All Huntco flange bike racks are available with a minimum of two breakaway nuts (as shown here, one per side). The Burnside, Sellwood, and Fremont racks all come with four bolts. Security is our priority!