It was 8 pm on a Sunday night and I needed to get some Christmas shopping done. What made me hop on my bike, head out in the dark on a December night and tackle that shopping task? Two words: bike parking. Target has sheltered, well-lit bike parking near the front of the store. I knew it would be easy for me to bike over there, safely lock up my bike, safely get to and from the store, and do my shopping when the store wasn’t crowded and busy. So I did just that.
Without that bike parking, Target would have lost my business. The store is only a couple of miles from my place, but I wouldn’t feel safe walking over there at night. And it takes way more than the pressure of last minute gift buying to get me to drive a car anywhere because I hate to drive so much. Target would have lost my business without that bike parking.
Same with REI. The outdoor store is located right on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail bike path on the South Side of Pittsburgh and there is generous bike parking at the front of the store. If I had to drive to REI, I would never go there. But because the store is right on the path, it’s an easy destination ride or a place I pass along the way to somewhere else. As a result, I stop there frequently. And I buy stuff.
As this DC.StreetsBlog post shows, people on bikes buy less per trip but shop more frequently than their motorized counterparts and end up being very good for business. This fact shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Because I live the “biking lifestyle” (i.e. localized, community-oriented, supergreen), I buy just about all the goods and services I consume within a 10 mile radius of where I live. I should clarify that the 10 miles goes pretty much in one direction — towards the areas with bike lanes and paths, and very much away from places I can’t ride to safely. Because I live within walking distance of the East End Food Coop in my neighborhood, I can dash out the door while I’m making dinner for that one ingredient I need and be back in 15 minutes whereas I would never get in the car and drive anywhere for one ingredient.
I patronize the businesses and services that I can bike or walk to, especially those that provide bike parking and access like the Carnegie Public Library in Oakland and the Squirrel Hill branch of the library.. If there wasn’t much bike parking available at the library, I’m sure I would hardly ever go. Same with coffee shops. I’ll frequent the shops with ample bike parking over the ones that only have one rack nearby, no matter what the selection of teas might be.
Businesses that provide bike parking will draw bike riders within proxmity of their shops. It really is that simple.
Make it easy for me to get to your place and provide a place for me to lock up my bike. And I will come to you.