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Whenever I see a "third place" shop (coffee, tea, bakery cafe) without bicycle parking, it kind of freaks me out. Why work so hard to run a business and then tell an entire segment of your potential customer base to go eff themselves? I just don't get it.

They don't have perfect control over bike parking in front. They need permission to install one. But Teaism could probably ask the downtown BID for a rack and have one within a year (?) so I don't know why they haven't done that, of if they have why they don't have one.

They've probably never even thought of it. Fortunately I can walk there from work, but otherwise, it might have cost them my business.

I won't say that I won't patronize places without bike parking because that would be unrealistic and unfair, but I have made either/or decisions based on it before. For instance, a couple of weeks ago I didn't stop at Heritage Brewery in Arlington because I could find nowhere to lock up, but I did go to New District instead, where I knew there was a rack out front.

Or they could go the Filter route and install their own themed back racks on the sidewalk in front of their doors. Certainly made me a fan of filter. Not that I need too much encouragement to drink coffee but it makes the Dupont pricing surcharge a bit easier to swallow.

Who fights bike parking?

I've approached businesses before and asked if they'd request bicycle parking from DDOT. Several have seemed enthusiastic and said they followed up but nothing ever happened. There should be an easier way to get the city to put bicycle parking where it is clearly needed--like in front of restaurants and cafes.

Ticket and tow the fed ex van for blocking the crosswalk. Then shift the crosswalk to line up with the actual path down to the memorial and put the bike rack where the current crosswalk is.

Boom, new bike rack, no viewshed impacts, and a cross walk that aligns with the path that most people will take.

Re: Asking BID
My building asked for bike parking years ago and we still don’t have it. Though, as far as I know, we have not repeatedly followed up on the request.

Re: Who fights bike parking?

We have residents who think it looks junky, particularly when, inevitably, parts of a bike get stolen and the carcass is left there for months.

Was that the downtown BID? Also I've had some luck with 311 and bike racks, but it takes years.

Yes, we are in the Downtown BID. But, TBH, it was discussed but, now that I think further, I don’t know if the property manager followed through.

Years ago BPAC pushed like crazy to get a bike parking corral installed on King St at the waterfront. Actual quote from a member of the Waterfront Commission at the time: "Bike parking corral? That sounds ugly." They tried to locate it behind a building, where no one would have to look at it, but didn't succeed.

They did succeed in keeping grounds of the tourist-attracting Torpedo Factory from being begrimed by a CaBi station. That station was relocated to Prince and Union streets.

Lack of bike parking? Right next door to that Teaism is BASIS DC School. That could be a contributory factor...

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