This past weekend the Yonge Lawrence Village BIA unveiled a set of bike art racks along the Yonge Street sidewalks.
Community residents, especially bike enthusiasts, will be delighted with the latest project of the Yonge Lawrence Village Business Improvement Association (BIA).
In early May 2008, 16 innovative bike stands will be installed on Yonge Street from Lawrence Ave to Yonge Blvd. The first eight “art” racks are now in production and have been designed by an entrepreneurial group from Bike Stand Art, led by Phil Sarazen and Jack Gibney.
My favourite one so far is this flower rack which sits almost in front of a flower shop. (Unfortunately I arrived after it closed last night.) Many of the racks have small pieces of stone embedded in the rack to give an accent.
Check out Torontoist coverage also, if not just for the title of the post.
Comments
hamish (not verified)
a BIA did this?
Tue, 05/13/2008 - 22:32I really appreciated this. And to think that a BIA did this - on Bloor, not only does that BIA not want bike lanes, they don't even want their precious street polluted by bike racks. Polluting the street with BMWs, cranes, etc., are fine however, and I guess they've got the budget to change the trees every three years....
Again - Fun, and thanks.
.
anthony
Pretty, Pretty
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 03:03Me, I love the way these new structures look. I have not yet had a chance to use them and I'm curious to know if they work just well as the lollipops do for all sizes of bikes (kid and adult sized bikes).
Hamish, not all BIA are against cyclists, BIA != BAD. Only some BIAs have earned a bad rep in cyclist's book by wanting to encourage cyclists and their money, but then fight the very bike lane proposals that would ahve brought cyclists to the BIAs with the excuse that they cannot risk losing any on-street car parking, and not provide for, or accept, any alternatives that would have made cyclists feel safe and welcomed.
Most BIAs would like to encourage cyclists to their areas and to have prettier bike parking structures to differentiate themselves from other parts of the city, and to accomodate them. The standard lollipop - post and rings that the city installs everywhere are useful, but they don't offer too much in esthetics. Most BIAs don't feel that they cannot to invest in nicer bike parking when there are other issues which are priorities to them.
Darren, let us know how well these things actualy work when one park thier bikes to them, show us some pictures of bikes on these things, that's what we need to see next!
Anne Rawson (not verified)
I've got great news for
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 12:06I've got great news for you!!!! The artists who did the YLV Bike Art Stands have just been awared a project to design bike art stands to be installed in front of the ROM. Not sure on numbers but I believe there will be at least 8. They will be installed this summer.
AnnieD
Finally!
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 12:41I was at the ROM last weekend and had to lock my bike on a street sign because there were no bike stands anywhere (no greenery either - does anyone know if the ROM plans to add anything alive around its new entrance???). Looking forward to seeing the art bike stands - at the ROM and elsewhere, hopefully.
Boba Fett Diop (not verified)
Pretty, but...
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 12:37...these look even less practical than the ring and post ones. It's already hard enough to get more than two bikes on the standard racks (sometimes, depending on the bike that's already locked there, it's hard to get more than one). At least these ones can't be broken as easily, but I'm not sure how good these will look with a rusted out frame locked to them for months on end. Chicago's cycling environment is often like something out of a Mad Max movie, but at least they have good bike racks: just a simple squared-off arch attached firmly to the concrete at both ends. Often you can get four bikes on one rack.
Luke Siragusa
Certainly eye-catching
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 17:47Can't attest to their usefulness but the works are certainly stylish. And TO could certainly use more pizzazz.