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WANT TO HELP THE CITY OF ALAMEDA WITH ITS BICYCLE PLAN UPDATE?

The City of Alameda is updating its Bicycle Master Plan. Part of this project is to document existing conditions of bicycle-related facilities throughout Alameda. To facilitate the data collection for this task, we are seeking assistance from local bicyclists, since you use the bicycle network on a regular basis. At this stage, we are working on completing an inventory of all bicycle racks in Alameda, as well as identifying needs for minor capital improvements, as described below.


Bicycle Racks

There are many different types of bicycle racks that have been installed in Alameda. In recent years, the types of racks and number of bicycle parking spaces has been reviewed as part of the development process, but we do not have a comprehensive list of the location, type, and capacity of all bicycle parking in the City. Having this information will enable us to better assess our needs for additional facilities and prioritize locations for additional bicycle parking as funds become available. You can help us by providing the following information for any bicycle racks you are familiar with, or ones that you notice as you travel around town.

Location:

If the rack is located adjacent to a building, indicate the street address. If not available, indicate the nearest intersection, the side of the street on which it’s located, and any other landmarks that would be helpful.

Type:

There are many different types of bicycle racks around town.

See some examples of the types you might see around town here

(excerpted from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals bicycle parking guidelines). Use the names of the different rack types as listed on this page.

Capacity:

Since not everyone agrees on the capacity of a particular rack (including the manufacturer), we’re going to start by documenting the physical characteristics of each rack. It would be preferable if you could send a picture of the rack you are describing, but if not, please include a sketch (no points deducted for poor art skills!). A non-technical description would also be helpful, e.g. “comb rack with 10 vertical posts”.

Usage:

Note the date and time you collected the data and the number of bikes parked in the rack at that time.

Other:

Please also note any other relevant information, such as if the rack is damaged or in poor condition, or if the placement of the rack makes it difficult to lock up your bike.

Needed Improvements

While the Plan update will include a set of capital projects, such as new on-street and off-street bikeways, at this point we are looking for more localized, lower cost needs. Examples might include locations where railroad tracks, poor pavement, or other concerns make riding difficult. Please be specific about the location, such as including the approximate street address or nearby landmarks.

Thanks!

We are trying to complete these tasks no later than May 22, 2008 , so we would greatly appreciate any information you could send us by this date. In addition to any descriptive information you send along, photos would be much appreciated. Please send any information and direct all questions to:

Barry Bergman, Transportation Coordinator City of Alameda Public Works Department 950 W. Mall Square, Room 110 Alameda, CA 94501 Email: bbergman@ci.alameda.ca.us Phone: 510-749-5916

Thank you for any assistance you can provide with this project!

posted: Sun, 27 Apr 2008