Bike garage
And it looks like people use it.
We recently happened upon this "bike shelter" tucked into a parking garage near Albany Medical Center. The storage area is protected from the elements and has a locked door with swipe-card access.
We know there are a few office buildings around the area that have bike rooms, but we'd never seen a bike parking garage this big before. It seems like a nice amenity for people who work there.
A few more pics post jump if you're curious.
Update: From Albany Med's Facebook page:
We're happy to provide this service for our employees and do the same for families and visitors. Simply ask any of our security personnel about our visitor bike rack and they will be more than happy to assist you secure your bike for the duration of your visit.
By the way: Apparently the new thing in bike parking is the "bike corral" -- cities such as San Francisco and Pittsburgh are turning car parking spaces into specifically-designated bike parking with racks. [Good]
Hi there. Comments have been closed for this item. Still have something to say? Contact us.
Comments
I'm happy that they have that because Albany weather can be quite brutal. I wish they had more bike parking garages locally-my landlord won't let me keep my bike inside my apartment.
... said Nicole on Aug 15, 2012 at 2:55 PM | link
This is awesome. Thanks!
... said ethan on Aug 15, 2012 at 2:57 PM | link
DEC also has (or at least had, when I was there) a similar arrangement in the parking garage. There were racks under cover, and another set for which you needed to be registered and use your access card. It was the best.
OGS also has a traditional key-lock shelter at the Empire State Plaza, in the area known as the bus turn-around. The only problem with it is there's no legal way to ride your bike to it.
I found a similar arrangement in Cleveland recently, and it was fabulous -- a gorgeous stacking rack system inside a parking garage, and it also gave you access to showers and lockers, really nice ones. They rented some bikes on the side, as well.
... said Carl on Aug 15, 2012 at 5:08 PM | link
hey i can see my bike in there!!
... said robby on Aug 15, 2012 at 5:25 PM | link
This is a wonderful resource for the hospital, and promotes an environment-conscious outlook that is all too rare in NY.
HOWEVER, be aware that riding a bike to the hospital and parking anywhere OTHER than this garage will result in a cut bike lock and bike impound by security. There was once another bike rack on the other side of the hospital, much closer to where many students and professors would have easier access to classes and research labs. Many students stopped riding bikes to class, in favor of cars/shuttles because they could no longer park their bikes near the lecture halls. They found that using the garage often made them late to lecture. (It's a fairly long walk back to the other end of the hospital campus.)
Parking bikes near the lecture halls and research labs was thought by Security to "invite a criminal element" to Albany Med, but the evidence for this is unclear. Petitions to have bike parking restored to the Medical Science and Medical Education building have fallen on deaf ears. The bike culture at Albany Medical Center could potentially be promoted most effectively by the students, unfortunately the loss of their bike parking the replacement with this bike shelter has resulted in a dwindling number of student cyclists and numerous angry researchers.
... said Med Student Cyclist on Aug 16, 2012 at 4:17 PM | link
As an update, they have build a new bike lot at the entrance to the lecture halls and research labs.
... said Linda G on Jul 29, 2013 at 10:53 AM | link