More bike corrals coming to Chicago

Great news for people who bike in Chicago: The city’s department of transportation wants to work with local businesses and business organizations to bring on-street bike parking corrals to neighborhoods throughout the city. 

Why build bike corrals? Bike corrals make it more convenient and inviting for people to ride a bike to a business. They provide parking for 10 or more bicycles in the same space typically occupied by a car.

Another benefit is that bike corrals remove bicycles from sidewalks, which makes it easier for pedestrians to get around. Bike corrals increase the visibility of bicycling as a transportation choice and show that a business community is bike friendly—that it cares about its customers who ride bicycles.

There are many reasons why a business would want to consider getting a bike corral installed, but the biggest benefit is economic.

More and more people are seeing that new bike infrastructure can be a boon for business. Bicyclists tend to visit local shops more often and spend more per month.

Currently, there are four bike corrals in Chicago, but there is a need for many more. Local businesses and business organizations can install an on-street bike corral for $2,500 to $3,000, plus some annual costs.

If you know of a business or a building interested in installing a bike corral, please contact tony@activetrans.org.