Bike Rack Location

[Dalton, George W.]

Paul, I was just going to e-mail you today about this.  The bike
racks are solid and under cover... but they have one up against
the wall where it can't be used as intended, the other one is
hidden so thieves can work on your lock or components undisturbed.
Also, they are on the opposite side of the entrance ramp from 
blockbuster and Trader Joe's.   Now, the really irritating thing is
that if you try to park on the store side of the entrance ramp the
parking attendants go nuts screaming at you not to lock up to the
Trader Joe's cart corral.  Car drivers doing grocery shopping can choose
to park right in front of the door they don't have to cross the entrance
ramp.  I spoke with Pete Uli the manager
of Trader Joe's today.  As long as you aren't interfering with his
customers and are spending money in his store he's happy, it isn't
Trader Joe's management it is the building management that wants 
cyclists to be inconvenienced and endangered.  For example, I come from
the south, so instead of not crossing the garage entrance ramp at all when
I shop, the building management insists that, if I want shelter from the
rain
when I load my panniers, I must cross the ramp 4 times, twice while
encumbered 
with my groceries.   In a perfect world they'd have both racks visible
to the parking attendant, one on the north for people going to Starbucks
and Kinko's and the Bank, one on the south for people going to Trader Joe's
and Blockbuster.  I really think Blockbuster could use one of the VDOT
racks out on the street near their door since it is such an in and out kind
of place.  I'm happy with locking to the cart corral but if many people
start
shopping by bike we'd need a rack on the South side too.  I had been
thinking
that with all the positive attitude coming from the City that the BSC would
evolve into a social club through lack of anything to contribute but we
aren't
there yet.  The way two parking attendants came yelling at me last week got
me
a bit angry.  It seemed like they felt they could be rude
and obnoxious and act like I'm some criminal because I'm shopping by bike.
I hope you can intervene and get the bike parking rearranged a little bit.
They
got some things right, it doesn't take a fancy time motion study to get
everything right.  Maybe you can get the parking attendants to lighten up
and
let Pete the Trader Joe's manager decide if his bike customers are out of
line.

I've only taken Metro home a couple times because of the weather and once
from
a puncture, I ride to Alexandria and back every day.  It's really much
better without the car.  Do you still live up there? 
George 

-----Original Message-----
From: paul.demaio at ci.alexandria.va.us
[mailto:paul.demaio at ci.alexandria.va.us]
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 5:54 PM
To: G.Dalton at stanleyassociates.com
Subject: Re: Bike Rack Location


Hi George,

How's life in Adams Morgan?

I heard that there is now a bike rack(s) inside, but nothing outside. I'll
see what I can do to have short- and long-term parking added into the City's
transportation management plan (TMP) under which the Saul Center falls.

Paul

Internet Message
DATE:	November 22, 2000    01:30:45 PM
TO:	Paul DeMaio at Alex
FROM:	MIME:G.Dalton at stanleyassociates.com
SUBJECT:	Bike Rack Location
____________________________________________________________________


Paul, I noticed that the new Trader JOE'S on St. Asaph in Old Town has
no bike rack out on the sidewalk.  I didn't see one in the parking garage
either.
I tie up to the shopping cart return corral in the garage so its not such a
big
deal.  It just seems like a logical place for one if you have any extras.
The health center has two and the school for dogs has one.  That new office
building
could use several one on Washington ST. One on ST. Asaph, one in the garage
one
out by the video store.  George