Bicycle-friendly business idea - full service bike parking
No matter what, the Americans do a good job of customer service. Here's one specifically for cyclists: 'bicycle valet parking'.
No longer the exclusive terrain of plush cars, a new kind of service is catering to people who need to park their bikes in Santa Monica where officials are hiring staff to handle up to 350 bikes at their Sunday market to fill up the tires and repair bikes.
Deborah Schoch of the LA Times paints the picture well:
Now, cyclists in search of heirloom tomatoes and organic cilantro can enjoy valet parking of the sort offered to BMW-driving diners at Ivy at the Shore or Chinois on Main, handing over their wheels to polite attendants who park them at a nearby bicycle stand.
Not to be outdone, Santa Barbara has opened a bikestation with hot showers and locker rooms for bike-riding commuters to freshen up before work and many other cities are following the idea.
Most of these bikestations offer valet and self-service parking. Some contain
small repair shops and some offer classes. They were built largely
with public funds and revenues cover most operating expenses.
The idea started in California and is spreading eastward, spearheaded by the Bikestation organisation. It started because commuters were unable to safely park their, often expensive, bikes. Now the programme is broadening to encompass a wide audience, with an outreach programme to teach cycling skills to women who have recently been released from prison or drug rehabilitation who will get bicycles to help them find jobs once they complete the programme.
Posted by Caroline
