More decorative bike racks in place
More of the decorative bike racks that were installed outside City Hall in October are now in place elsewhere in the downtown.
These new bike racks have designs featuring Market Hall and the Lift Lock; there are now some outside Spa Euphoria on Water St., and on the sidewalk on Charlotte St. just west of George St.
Susan Sauvé, the city’s transportation demand management planner, said more should be added over time.
She also said a prototype has been created with a design showing the Quaker building, but it hasn’t been installed yet – that will come soon.
Sauvé said the racks were locally-designed and made at City Welding Works on Perry St.
She said the firm – which does a lot of work for the city – heard that council was interested in buying some decorative bike racks.
So they set to work designing some and brought the prototypes in to City Hall to show staff.
“When they brought them in, everyone was pretty dumbfounded,” Sauvé said. “I think they’re pretty elegant.”
She said the city will continue adding decorative bike racks, and that City Welding Works plans to come up with more designs.
Sauvé said it costs $175 for a plain U-rack, plus $80 for the art – so it is more pricey, with the design.
“But it’s still much cheaper that ordering a bike rack from out of town,” Sauvé said.
About 18 months ago, council voted to have staff consider ordering decorative bike racks, benches and manhole covers rather than the standard ones.
The idea came from Coun. Dean Pappas, who said he thought it was a great idea to add this kind of whimsy to the city.
“These are just the first - it’s experimental,” Pappas told The Examiner, when the first bike racks were installed at City Hall in October.
“A bike rack doesn’t have to be a utilitarian piece of steel - they can be decorative.”