A Name Change and Some Wonky Thoughts on Bicycle Parking

As I mentioned recently, I don't update this blog nearly enough to warrant the "Daily" name, so I'm changing it. I got a few suggestions, and finally settled on a version of one that came from a casual conversation.
As I go in to the "dashboard" to change the name, I'm realizing it kind of feels like being back in a high school rock band, when we'd change our name every week, but never actually had any gigs.

Anyway, on a brief but more serious note, I recently read an article at www.grist.org on how more bicycle-friendly parking can draw in customers to local businesses.
While it's true that secure bicycle parking costs way, WAY less than car parking (even a 10-bike slot costs a fraction of a single car space, it's not even a close comparison) there seems to be two other factors working against an increase in bike parking, at least in suburban New Jersey.

First off is the economic stereotype of cycling. In spite of the increasing number of middle-class citizens using bikes for short trips or even going completely car-free voluntarily, bicycles are considered transportation for poor people, kids and DUI offenders. Business owners don't feel the urgency to cater to cyclists, because they may believe that anyone who might show up on a bike won't have money to spend.

The second issue I see, and noted from far too much time spent reporting on local planning board meetings, comes from the way many urban/suburban centers' land use laws work. Just about any business opening in a downtown area (which will draw the most transportation cyclists) is required to provide parking for a certain amount of cars. Often meeting the minimum requirement for a particular business is nearly impossible based on the available space, and requires the owner/developer to get variances and other special allowances to make up for failing to meet municipal requirements.

When a new business is already having a hard time getting clearance to build because it doesn't have enough car parking, what is the incentive to give up even a single potential car slot for bicycle parking? By the same token, many existing businesses are allowed to get away with fewer parking spaces than are required by current law because they were "grandfathered" in, but if they want to convert a motor vehicle space to bicycle parking, they may face zoning and planning issues that would make it difficult and expensive.

Obviously these aren't insurmountable problems, and not every municipality has the same requirements, but there is a pressure to provide more car parking, and at the very least, this makes the idea of providing a lot of bicycle parking unappealing to a lot of business owners.

I would like to see state and municipal laws address this, possibly even granting incentives for certain types of businesses that provide a certain amount of bike parking. This would also involve adopting some standards for bicycle parking as well, as far as sizing and security. Again, these are not impossible problems to work around, but they require willing politicians and common-sense advocacy.

Perhaps a smart advocacy group could take advantage of the fact that a number of NJ politicians are fairly pro-cycling (including our Central Jersey congressmen Leonard Lance(R) and Rush Holt(D), both of whom are members of the Congressional Bike Caucus).

Name My Blog contest and Continuing Thoughts on Bicycle Commuting

OK, I'm just about managing a "Weekly DeBlass," but that doesn't have the same ring to it, so I'd I'm asking you for suggestions on what to name the blog. The winning suggestion will get... um... to pick the name of my blog (sorry, I don't really have anything good to give away at the moment!)

In other news, high gas prices and a continually unreliable vehicle (it is technically drivable, but the transmission is acting up, so I've left it in the driveway the last few weeks until I get a good diagnosis and raise the funds to fix it), I'm doing almost all of my traveling by bicycle lately. Since I'm pretty severely underemployed, it's not too much of a hardship for me, most of my trips are under 10 miles each way.

As I mentioned before, my current ride is the first bike I've had in a while that isn't a "sport" style. It's definitely a utility bike with no pretense towards racing. In keeping with that, I've decided that instead of either the lycra look or the wanna-be messenger style, I'm just going to ride in regular "people clothes." With the generally cool early spring weather, it's actually been pretty comfortable to cruise around in khakis and light windbreaker, and as it gets warmer I'm shifting towards shorts and polo shirts. I'm still sticking with flat pedals and regular street shoes as well. In addition to being able to get off my bike and walk around the supermarket without feeling the constant urge to blurt out "I'm bicycle commuting" to everyone I see, I feel like riding in regular, even slightly preppy-ish, street clothes helps do a bit for cycling advocacy by sending the message that bicycling is a normal form of transportation that doesn't require special gear or athletic discipline.

There's a lot of information on the internet that addresses cycling as transportation, and even a few blogs devoted to bike-related fashion. Among this you can find a lot of discussion on fabric choices (lightweight wool seems to be tops for quick-drying/not-smelling-funny), the length and cut of pants, less-geeky looking helmets, etc. But amid all this information on non-sports bike wear the blogosphere seems to be strangely silent on one particular topic: underwear. Anyone who's ever pedaled a modest distance on a humid day can understand how one's choice in skivvies can have a dramatic affect on one's comfort level, but it seems very hard to find anyone who's willing to say "hey, wear these and they won't chafe/bunch/feel like you dredged them out of the Everglades when by the time you get to work."

I'm debating on whether I want to chronicle (sans illustrations, thank you) the results of my own research into the topic or not. On one hand, I would be providing useful information and leading an important discussion, on the other, I don't know if I'm ready to surrender the tiny bit of dignity I have left.