Bikestation
Downtown residents and visitors alike will be excited to hear that plans are moving forward with the new Bikestation being built at First and Promenade. The new facility, which you can see below is quite stunning and attention-grabbing, will house secure parking for 100 bicycles. Bike parking is free during business hours, and paying members will have 24-hour access, as well as shower facilities. The new station will also include a bike shop, bike rentals and professional repair services. Bikestation’s Long Beach facility is on par both in idea and aesthetics with European bike infrastructure, and the company hopes their stations will become a ubiquitous piece of American transportation.
Bikestation currently is housed in a temporary location just a block over at Broadway and Promenade. The new facility is scheduled to be open by the end of February 2011.
Who is paying for this?
It seems like every time I am downtown and go past this place it is empty except for all of the rental bikes.
If tax-payer dollars are being used for this, I would be very interested in seeing REAL usage reports, not fabricated numbers from a bicycle-commuting centric company whose CEO does not even use the services.
I have known several people over the years that have worked at this location and they have all commented at how slow it is and that a ‘busy’ day is when 4 bikes are parked.
For the cost of this facility, I would rather see hundreds of staple racks installed at actual destinations.