[dc-critmass-list] Pay bike parking coming to Union Station

Fri Aug 14 13:43:12 EDT 2009

 They plan to remove all but 20 of the free spots, and I fear they will attempt to enforce a signpost prohibition. I expect a block or 2 block walk if I need to use the Union station toilets. We should demand that all 150 free spots be left for those of us who cannot afford ever to use pay parking.

I won't pay protection-not to street thugs, and not to union station either. I'm not forking over one thin dime...

> Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:56:47 +0000
> From: kimberly_belk at ekit.com
> CC: dc-critmass-list at lists.mutualaid.org
> To: lukekuhn at hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: [dc-critmass-list] Pay bike parking coming to Union Station
> 
> 
> While I understand the point of needing free bike parking, for those 
> of us tired of having our bikes tampered with and or stolen $1 a day 
> is not much. And $1 is significantly less than driving, paying for 
> parking and dealing with the hassle of driving.  While not a yuppie I 
> am more than happy to fork over a dollar to not have my daily exit 
> from union station one of trepidation- will my bike be there, will it 
> be damaged, will some ass have kicked and dented the rims, will both 
> my tires be there despite my double lock (all issues I have faced in 
> 20 years of being a cycle commuter)?  And importantly, what if 
> something happens to me and I can't pick up my bike well then it is 
> in a secure overnight facility. So as opposed to advocating for no 
> facilities, how about approach the situation as free parking is still 
> necessary for those that can’t afford and don’t want to pay.
> 
> 
> 
> Quoting Luke Kuhn <lukekuhn at hotmail.com>:
> 
> >--_9c99f3b8-bcc2-4ec0-a001-bf493e41afc1_
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> >
> >
> >http://dc.thecityfix.com/union-station-bike-station-good-for-
> existing-rider>s-symbolism/
> >
> >>From DC Indy:
> >
> >  Union Station's Bicycle Transit Center is slated
> >to open in October, of>fering nearly 500 instead of 150 bike lockup
> >spots-but indoors, for a $1 >a day 7 Am-7PM only access, or $100 a 
> year for 24
> >hour access. Only 20 sp>ots will be outside, nobody is saying if 
> they will
> >be free.
> >
> >   Allowing anyone to remove free bike racks and
> >replace them with pay park>ing sets a brutal precedent where more 
> and more
> >establishments will seek to> prohibit locking up bikes on the 
> sidewalk and put
> >in pay-to-lock bike rack>s instead.
> >
> >   In 2002, Union Station posted signs on all sign
> >posts on their propert>y prohibiting bike parking-and threatened to
> >confiscate bikes. Those signs >are long gone, but I suspect they 
> will soon
> >return.
> >
> >   It's going to be very, very difficult to get
> >Union Station to keep fre>e bike racks or even tolerate the use of 
> their sign
> >posts once this expensi>ve indoor facility for yuppies opens.
> >
> >   If the 20 outdoor spots included in the bike
> >center  are free, my gues>s is commuters will fill them first, then 
> all of
> >the street sign posts ac>ross 1st st from Union Station, then divide 
> with
> >some paying to park, a>nd some walking a block plus from sign posts 
> on
> >North Capitol St or Capitol> Hill locations.
> >
> >   Anyone wanting to bike to  Metro in rush hour and
> >lock up their bike wil>l have to avoid Union Station, and anyone 
> needing
> >to get off Metro and us>e the toilets will have to use another Metro 
> station
> >and stop by a bush som>ewhere.
> >
> >   If bicycle users are asked to pay to park as
> >though they were driving ca>rs, a key advantage of bicycles over cars
> >disappears. Once this starts,> people will ignore both their bike 
> and Union
> >Station, driving their car >instead even if they must use a parking 
> meter on the
> >far end.
> >
> >  I swear on the graves of all my ancestors that I
> >will never, ever use a> pay bike parking facility, no matter 
> how "secure"
> >or pretty!  For those >of us who ride without dollars, this thing 
> could
> >set a disasterous preced>ent.
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for
> >you.
> >http://www.bing.com/cashback?
> form=MSHYCB&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MSHYC>B_BackToSchool_Cashback_BTSCa
> shback_1x1>
> >--_9c99f3b8-bcc2-4ec0-a001-bf493e41afc1_
> >Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> >
> ><html>
> ><head>
> ><style>
> >.hmmessage P
> >{
> >margin:0px;
> >padding:0px
> >}
> >body.hmmessage
> >{
> >font-size: 10pt;
> >font-family:Verdana
> >}
> ></style>
> ></head>
> ><body class='hmmessage'>
> >http://dc.thecityfix.com/union-station-bike-station-good-for-
> existing-rider>s-symbolism/<br><br>From DC Indy:<br><br> 
> >Union Station's Bicycle T>ransit Center is slated to open in October,
> >offering nearly 500 instead o>f 150 bike lockup spots-but indoors, 
> for a $1 a
> >day 7 Am-7PM only access>, or $100 a year for 24 hour access. Only 
> 20 spots
> >will be outside, nob>ody is saying if they will be
> >free.<br><br>   Allowing anyone> to remove free bike racks and 
> replace them with pay
> >parking sets a brutal >precedent where more and more establishments 
> will
> >seek to prohibit locking >up bikes on the sidewalk and put in pay-to-
> lock bike
> >racks instead.<br><br>>   In 2002, Union Station posted
> >signs on all sign posts on> their property prohibiting bike parking-
> and
> >threatened to confiscate bikes>. Those signs are long gone, but I 
> suspect they
> >will soon return.<br><br>>   It's going to be very, very
> >difficult to get Union Stati>on to keep free bike racks or even 
> tolerate the use
> >of their sign posts onc>e this expensive indoor facility for yuppies
> >opens.<br><br>  > If the 20 outdoor spots included in the bike
> >center  are free, my> guess is commuters will fill them first, then 
> all
> >of the street sign pos>ts across 1st st from Union Station, then 
> divide
> >with some paying to park>, and some walking a block plus from sign 
> posts on
> >North Capitol St or Ca>pitol Hill locations.<br><br>   Anyone
> >wanting to bike to&nbs>p; Metro in rush hour and lock up their bike 
> will
> >have to avoid Union Sta>tion, and anyone needing to get off Metro 
> and use
> >the toilets will have t>o use another Metro station and stop by a 
> bush
> >somewhere.<br><br> &n>bsp; If bicycle users are asked to pay to park 
> as
> >though they were drivin>g cars, a key advantage of bicycles over cars
> >disappears. Once this start>s, people will ignore both their bike 
> and Union
> >Station, driving their >car instead even if they must use a parking 
> meter on
> >the far end.<br><br>&n>bsp; I swear on the graves of all my ancestors
> >that I will never, ever >use a pay bike parking facility, no matter 
> how
> >"secure" or pretty!&nbsp>; For those of us who ride without dollars, 
> this
> >thing could set a disa>sterous precedent.<br><br /><hr />Get back to 
> school
> >stuff for them and cas>hback for you. <a
> >href='http://www.bing.com/cashback?
> form=MSHYCB&publ>=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MSHYCB_BackToSchool_Cashback_BTSCa
> shback_1x1'
> >target>='_new'>Try Bing now.</a></body>
> ></html>>
> >--_9c99f3b8-bcc2-4ec0-a001-bf493e41afc1_--
> >
> 
> 
> 

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