Bike Parking Respect in Chicago: McDonald’s Cycle Center
Chicago's Millennium Park hosts of one of the most incredible amenities for cyclists in the United States: McDonald's Cycle Center. So sit back and take a most excellent tour with Bike And Roll's Josh Squire, who manages the facility through an agreement with the city.
It's enough to make bike commuters in many cities drool. The center boasts state-of-the-art showering facilities, secure bicycle parking for 300, a repair station, towel service, is temperature-controlled, and features the constant presence of the Chicago Lakefront Police bike patrol, which shares the facility and maintains its bikes on site. The station is extremely popular, with 500 members at a time and a waiting list of eager riders ready to join. But even if you aren't a member you can still take advantage of the free bike parking, and mechanics are on duty to repair anyone's bikes seven days a week.
If you'd like to read more, the wikipedia entry on it is very in-depth.
Clarence,
What a nice film. It was a pleasure meeting you on your visit to Chicago. What with gas prices on the rise and the weather finally breaking, the bike station is busier than ever. If I didn't have an "in" with the my friends in the repair shop, I'd be parking in the basement!
- Pat
wow... what a fantastic facility. that sounds like everything a bike station facility SHOULD be. I love the fact that it has free parking as well as the paid parking. ...the showers and repair shop--excellent. ...and that the police operate out of there? what a great idea to naturally increase the security of the place!
Cool Clarence! Kathy Schubert of the the Chicago Cycling Club gave me a tour a couple of years ago. I remember it even had a special bike shop just for black and white bikes with flashing sirens (yep, guess who).
If you want to see the Downunder equivalent, here's my video of the Brisbane Bicycle Cycle2City facility:
http://www.galfromdownunder.com/movies/cycle2city
And how did I get there?
By sleepertrain and folding Bike Friday (like yours) of course:
http://www.galfromdownunder.com/movies/sleepertrain
Incorporating a police station into a bike facility...brilliant. Also, I can only hope that the next Mayor of San Francisco has as much vision and chutzpah as Chicago's Mayor Daley.
The McDonald’s Cycle Center is another great resource to the Chicago bicycling community. Chicago has got to be one of the greatest cycling cities. I'm proud to call the Chicago area home and love riding on the lakefront as well as the many other bicycle trails available through out Chicagoland.
When can we get one in New York? Soon? Pretty please?
When I move from Chicago the bike culture finally begins picking up, life sucks!
sweet home chicago
It's a fantastic facility, the culture surrounding it is great. I've never heard anyone complain about it, and don't plan on it either.