NYC uses bike corrals to protect bikes from traffic

May 7, 2013

In his recent project, researcher and head of Center for Transportation and Livable Systems (CTLS) Dr. Nicholas Lownes developed a model that could effectively prevent violent collisions between freight vehicles and bicycles in major urban areas. According to his findings, installation of parking area dividers between bike lanes and the main street stopped heavy vehicles from parking in illegal areas and kept bicycles in the designated lanes.

Bike corrals

Bike corrals in NYC (Image by BikePortland.org)

The new bike corrals in New York City are a materialization of his findings. The newly installed bike corrals will “provide parking for bike-share bikes, and divide the street from bike lanes.” [Source: CTLS]

The Atlantic Cities reports, “In the Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, bike parking corrals, rather than parked cars, are being used to protect bike lanes. Three new corrals were just installed alongside the bike lane on Ninth Avenue in response to community requests for more bike parking.”

Sixteen bike parking corrals replace a single car parking spot on Ninth Avenue in the floating lane that separates the bike lane from car traffic.

The video produced by Streetfilms, shows that “both cyclists and local business owners love the new parking oasis because it protects the cyclists, is convenient for customers and delivery people, and frees up space on the sidewalks for pedestrians, brings bikes in the floating bike lanes and looks more organized.” (Source: torontostandard.com)

9th Avenue is a densely populated part of the city where many bikes lock up on the sidewalk rack. A corral with enough space to park 16 bikes can free up the sidewalks for pedestrians.  The area is also famous for its restaurants, many of which have large fleets of delivery cyclists.

Although parking spots for cars have been turned into bike parking spaces in many cities, including New York, it is the first time that bike parking in a floating lane is being used to protect bikes from traffic.Having bike parking replacing a car parking spot in the floating lane is definitely a first for New York City, and quite possibly the first in the United States.” Clarence Eckerson Jr., Streetfilms producer writes in his blog. (Source: streetfilms.org)

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Category: Green Parking, News