FREE BICYCLE RACKS FOR BUSINESSES
A City of Fort Wayne Community Development program provides free bike racks with installation to qualifying commercial property owners. To qualify, properties should be frequented regularly by customers or visitors, be located inside the city limits and within one-half mile of a trail.
Given that Waynedale has both trails and sidewalks coming to Bluffton Road between Lower Huntington and Winchester Road in the not too distant future, this would be an excellent opportunity for area businesses.
We spoke with Kate Riordan who is the Active Transportation Planner for the City of Fort Wayne and asked some general questions about the Free Bike Rack Program.
What is the value of the bike rack to the business?
Each bike rack costs about $130 and holds two bikes. Installation fees are $50 each, so there is a total value of $180 per rack. Plus the added value of having a safe place for customers to place their bikes while patronizing the business.
Does the business pay for the concrete work?
Many businesses may already have an adequate area of concrete in which to install the rack, but if they do want or need to create a concrete pad for the rack, then yes the business owner absorbs the cost. If the business owner doesn’t have adequate concrete, doesn’t want to pay to get a pad poured and would prefer to use existing asphalt, they can purchase asphalt anchors for the racks. We can provide ordering information for the anchors. However, we have found that the racks aren’t as secure when installed in asphalt.
Is there still plenty of time to get a rack installed yet this summer or can a business hold one in reserve until a time closer to trails being installed?
It would be best for the business to request the racks this summer if at all possible. Our turnaround time is fairly fast. We have a limited number and we aren’t sure at this time whether this program will be continued next year.
Using bike racks lessens traffic congestion and promotes healthier lifestyles. This is part of the mission statement of the Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks Initiative which reads: “To provide safe walking and cycling access for the residents of Waynedale; encouraging a healthy lifestyle while creating opportunities for pedestrians to patronize our local businesses.”
To date, the city has installed approximately 225 bike racks using mostly federal funds. Interested property owners may call 311 to obtain more information or to have Kate come out and review the site.
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