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Decades of research shows that expanding roads doesn’t provide lasting congestion relief. More lanes means more traffic.

On-street bike corral added to Pilsen neighborhood

Kudos to Alderman Danny Solis of the 25th Ward for installing the city’s first year-round on-street bike parking corral. Ald. Solis unveiled the rack earlier this month outside Café Jumping Bean at 1439 W. 18th Street in Pilsen.

On-street bicycle corrals free up space for pedestrians by moving bike racks from the sidewalk onto the roadway. A single metered car parking space can hold up to 12 cycles. The rack in Pilsen can hold up to 10 bikes, which is a blessing for a corner that typically has several bikes locked up to random street furniture. As a result of the new bike corral, the sidewalk will be less congested for people on foot and on bikes, and bicyclists will find it more convenient to ride to popular destinations in the neighborhood, like the café, a bookstore, and thrift shops.

On-street bike corrals offer other benefits when looked at from a business perspective: Corrals provide a 10-to-1 customer-to-parking space ratio, they increase foot and bike traffic, and they advertise “bike friendliness” to customers. And we think they just look cool.

If you would like to see on-street bike corral in your neighborhood, send me an e-mail at tony@activetrans.org.