School district criticized for plans to add U-shaped racks

Officials: The racks are simple, sturdy, affordable

By Vanessa Miller (Contact)
Monday, September 8, 2008

Inverted-U racks 101 -Shape: They look like upside-down U's or lower-case N's.

Support: There is one simple element to the rack, which can support two bicycles.

How to: A rider can lock the rear wheel and seat tube of the bicycle to the rack.

Pros: They can support bicycles with baskets, and they work with bikes of all makes and sizes.

Cons: They take up space and can be confusing to use.

Cora racks 101 - Shape: They look like a series of coat hangers on a single bar.

Support: One rack typically can support 10 bicycles.

How to: A rider can lock a bicycle's wheel and frame to a triangular portion of the rack.

Pros: They're simple to use and keep bicycles parked in an orderly fashion.

Cons: They don't work with bikes that have baskets, and they're too tall for some smaller children's bicycles.

A plan to add hundreds of bicycle-parking spaces at 20 Boulder Valley schools has come under fire by some people who disapprove of the style of rack that officials plan to use.

Based on a city of Boulder recommendation, the Boulder Valley School District is leaning toward using a $60,000 federal grant to install 250 inverted-U bicycle racks on school properties that lack parking space. But critics argue that the U-shaped parking racks take up too much space and are confusing to use.

“One problem with the U rack is that people park 90 degrees to the way they’re supposed to,” said Boulder resident Peter Richards, who complained to the district over the weekend about its decision to use U-shaped racks. “Those are the dumbest racks in the world.”

Instead of the U racks, some local cycling proponents have suggested the district install Cora racks, which look like a row of coat hangers on a bar and are prevalent across the University of Colorado campus.

Kent Young, 57, of Boulder, said the district should consider copying CU in its use of Cora racks because they promote simple and more orderly bicycle parking.

“It looks to me that you can get more bikes in the same amount of space,” Young said. “They’re less awkward and cumbersome.”

Landon Hilliard, student transportation coordinator for the school district, said the district is open to suggestions, and officials plan to spend the next three months studying the individual needs of schools scheduled to get more bicycle parking.

Right now, he said, the district is leaning toward the U racks because they encourage riders to lock their bikes in the most secure way, they’re stable and they’re cost-efficient.

School district officials said Cora racks don’t work well with bicycles that have baskets attached, and that’s a problem because children who ride to school are being urged to carry their bags in a side, front or rear compartment — not on their backs.

“If you have a bike with a lot of baggage and baskets on the side, it’s tough to park your bike with those Cora racks,” said Sue Prant, project manager for the district’s bicycle-parking project. “And we want our kids to carry their stuff on the bike rather than on their backs.”

Prant said district and transportation officials will meet with parents and community members this fall to explain their logic in picking the U-shaped racks. And the district might consider using a combination of U and Cora racks, Prant said.

Wanda Pelegrina Caldas, family outreach coordinator at Boulder’s Columbine Elementary School, said she thinks U racks are best suited for elementary children.

“Smaller bikes, especially the size pre-schoolers and younger elementary school-aged kids use, are just not tall enough for Cora racks,” she said.

Regardless of the style, Caldas said, with the fast-growing ridership — it’s three times higher than it’s ever been at Columbine — the district’s top priority should be adding more racks as soon as possible.

“We bring bikes into the school because we have no space for them to be safe outside,” she said. “We need to focus on rewarding kids, staff and families who ride to school with safe, sound and functional bike racks.”