As an avid biker and long-time supporter of programs that encourage riding, I’m always on the alert for municipal enhancements that could make it easier or more comfortable for those who want to employ two, rather than four, wheels to get around town.
I was recently in Camberwell, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, and saw a bike repair station that had been put up in front of the public library. It is solidly constructed and has a pump, a rack on which you can lift your bike to make repairs, and retractable cables that have every tool you would ever need to change a tire or make other repairs.
I’ve included pictures here, including one of the pavement sign about 100 meters away directing riders to where the repair station is.
Questions for my Newton biking colleagues: Would such installations be desirable and useful here? (Imagine several around town in front of libraries and/or schools. Or maybe, too, at Northland and Riverside and such developments.) Given installation and maintenance costs, would we want to advocate for the City to finance them, or would we want to encourage local businesses to do so and/or require developers to do so?
These are wonderful, and I know Williamstown and Saratoga Springs have them on main streets (caveat—I have never seen them used)
Council has repair stations for bikes in the special permit draft for Riverside. I don’t recall if we added that for Northland, but it would be an asset—particularly right up against the Greenway, where the passing public could use it.
There are a couple in Cambridge as well that I’ve come across. These are wonderful and I’d love to see them around town. Honestly, I think the DCR path would make a great location for one.
In front of the high schools would be a great place for them.
In front of Starbucks in Waban… hordes of bikers already congregate there…
There is one in Wellesley. Newton is way behind the curve on this.
Let’s have a referendum to decide!
There is one at BC
There is already one in place at the Watertown library’s entrance facing Main Street/Rt 20. Others are installed on various bike trails (including on the Bruce Freeman). Perhaps one of Newton’s local bike stores would to sponsor one, or a rig like the solar-powered air pump in the parking lot of NNHS?