news MCBC Lands Secure Bike Parking at SMART Stations

Thanks to Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition efforts, SMART passengers can expect to have a safe place to leave their bikes when train service begins later this year.

SMART’s Board of Directors recently approved funding for an additional 42 bike racks and 68 electronic bike lockers across the 10 stations set to open this spring.

The electronic lockers, which will be the first installed in the North Bay, can be accessed via a BikeLink membership card. Those interested in using the lockers when service begins should visit BikeLink’s website to learn more. Photo courtesy of King County Metro.

MCBC’s article in September 2016 – “SMART Bike Parking Plan Falls Short” actively pushed for more robust bicycle parking resources.  SMART’s own Bicycle Parking Investment Strategy document had forecast bicycle parking demand in order to determine how much and what types of bicycle parking to install at each station.

The SMART plan’s baseline bicycle parking recommendations called for a combination of bike racks and electronic bicycle lockers at every station. Only five bike racks had been installed at each location, well short of the recommendations in both quality and quantity.

MCBC and SCBC then submitted a joint letter asking SMART to install the recommended baseline facilities before the start of service, a request that was echoed by many North Bay bicycle advocates and ultimately acknowledged by SMART staff and Directors.

The chart below highlights the additional bicycle parking capacity that will be installed before service begins, with the recently-funded spaces identified in red.

Bicycle parking facilities installed (blue) and expected to be installed by the start of service (red). Those highlighted in red were recently funded by SMART’s Board of Directors in response to MCBC and SCBC’s request for additional investments. Note that each rack can accommodate two bikes.

The MCBC/SCBC-requested commitment will place bike lockers at all stations, in addition to increasing rack space at many stations. Once service begins, MCBC will begin monitoring the adequacy of the bike parking supply and recommending the installation of additional facilities where necessary. We anticipate member assistance in supplying data.

As plans for San Rafael’s transit center relocation materialize, MCBC will work to ensure that the Bicycle Parking Investment Strategy’s recommended 60-space bicycle storage facility is included in plans, then funded and installed as early as possible.