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Thousands of (Bicycle) Parking Spaces Going Away?

Austin has several thousand parking meters, which are set to be replaced over the next couple of years by electronic parking kiosks at each block of metered spaces. At least, this is the latest news. A quick search through the City of Austin shows that this has been talked about for nearly twelve years. But it’s really happening now! We think.

While this will help the city reduce maintenance costs and increase the revenue they get from parking, it will also remove lots and lots of poles that are currently being used for impromptu bicycle locking all over the central city.

Toronto’s bicycle parking poles are simple posts with a circular ring attached, as in the photos seen here and here. It seems that converting at least some of our existing parking meter poles to work in this fashion would be quite cost effective and fast to implement. It might even save the city money compared to the cost of removing the posts entirely.

It’s a possibility. I personally like the “upside-down U-lock” style bicycle parking our city usually has, but any kind of secure parking is better than having none.

Of course, I would love for us to have an enormous bicycle parking center like the one in Chicago… maybe someday (and separated lanes, and on-street bike parking a la Portland from removing a space on each downtown block and… yeah). The Mellow Johnny’s bike station is a good start.

So what do you think? Should Austin try to convert some of the removed parking meters to bicycle parking, or should they remove them all and then install more bicycle parking after the fact – and if they do, how long will it take? Are we destined to have a “bicycle parking crisis” for a couple of years while things get sorted out? Will cyclists riot in the street? Will a private entity swoop in and save the day? Should I not even worry about this because we’re all going to be swooping about in our own transit pods any day now?

I know… how about a 50-story luxury condo just for bicycles…