At the December 2, 2021 Infrastructure Committee meeting, Pierre Gerard gave a presentation [PDF] on the CityRacks Bicycle Parking Program. Notes from the presentation and discussion are below.

Presentation

Presentation notes

• Public bike rack locations map will be updated in January 2022.
  • Currently up to date through July 2021 (map here)
• 1290 racks installed Jul 2019-Dec 2021 (1060 by city, 230 other)
  • 96 new racks were installed in East Oakland—specific focus is to increase the number of racks in commercial zones in this part of the city
• 11,701 bike parking spots in Oakland in total
• There is a new online rack request form, which has better integration of Spanish and Chinese text.
  • Only 24 requests received through the online form so far since June 2021
  • Other requests are received via email and 311
• Common response from business owners in Central/East Oakland is that there is little demand from customers. OakDOT usually refrains from installations in these cases.
  • What could OakDOT do better or differently to assess demand & recruit public?
• COVID has slowed bike rack deliveries/installations due to supply chain issues.
• For any in-street bike corral, a business owner needs to submit the application and sign a maintenance agreement.
  • But when a business leaves there is often nobody to take on the maintenance agreement – E-scooter 
  • 8 new bike corrals installed since adoption of the bike plan update in 2019
• E-lockers are currently installed at Rockridge Library. Other library locations being considered for e-lockers.
  • Existing Civicorps program to clean e-lockers and bikeway signage

Discussion

• Has the City measured demand post-bike rack installations at other locations?
  • There is no standardized approach to assessing demand yet.
• How many Oakland libraries have bike parking?
  • All of them do, 100%.
• If multiple individuals request bike parking, does a business owner’s refusal still prevent installation?
  • Staff will show business owner the requests they have received. Business owner’s approval isn’t required, but it is preferred if possible.
  • Sometimes city will install rack next door if a specific business objects.
  • An on-street bike corral requires a maintenance agreement with business owner, so these would be ruled out without support.
• In addition to libraries, consider recreation centers & parks for bike parking.
• Is it best for people to submit bike parking requests via the online form, calling 311, or via the SeeClickFix app/website?
  • The form is best, phone is okay, but using SeeClickFix is not good.
  • Should a separate category be added to SeeClickFix for rack requests?
    • Only if it redirects to the city form. Requests directly via SeeClickFix would not be captured.
• Telegraph Temescal cycletrack had some parklet racks removed and reinstalled in the buffer areas between bikeway and travel lane—How well are those working?
  • Pretty good so far, we haven’t been seeing damage or car impacts like with other bike corral locations.
  • For new protected bikeway concrete islands coming to Telegraph, it much better to install bike racks there than on asphalt surface.
• For Deep East Oakland, consider health clinics and social services for coordination on bike rack opportunities. People are definitely riding there for services.
  • Recently got a request for racks at High Street Walgreens. Other pharmacy and health clinic locations are opportunities.
• 2401 Broadway bike corral via new development was a great location. The remaining space from a new bulb-out is too small for car parking but wide enough for corral.
• On per-capita basis, Oakland has more bike parking than almost any other city in the US. Only Minneapolis is higher, as far as we know.