Seattle experiments with designated bike-share parking spots

It’s been around eight months since Seattle first introduced its rules for dockless, private bike-share programs, and by many measures, it’s been pretty successful. An average of 2,711 per day took bike-share rides in the first four months alone, and the number of bikes on the street has increased to more than 9,000 (literally). But there’s been one big sticking point to the program: With no docks to tie the bikes down, bikes end up getting parked in creative ways, whether that’s in the middle of the sidewalk or thrown in a lake.

A new pilot program by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) might not help bikes from being willfully destroyed or tossed away, but it could help with people who aren’t clear on the rules. Five points in Ballard have painted spots to park the bike-share vehicles to help avoid confusion over the rules.

The spots were chosen, according to a blog post by SDOT spokesperson Norm Mah, because they’re in an area where people often leave shared bikes.

They’re also all ideal bike parking spots, located on the “sidewalk furniture zone” of the walkway. When bikes are parked within the marks, there’s a full six-foot pedestrian path retained on the sidewalk, with no blocked access to buildings or curb ramps.

All five locations are along the main drag of Market Street: West of Ballard Avenue on the north side of the street, both the northeast and southeast corners of Market and Leary, the southwest corner of Tallman and Market, and on the north side of Market Street just west of Russell Avenue.

Over the next few weeks, SDOT will monitor whether the program increases compliance with bike-share parking regulations in both the immediate vicinity and the entire neighborhood, and whether having clearly marked parking areas makes the bikes more “orderly.”

The rules for bike-share parking were introduced with the rest of the regulatory framework last July. Bikes need to be parked upright in a “landscape/furniture” zone of the sidewalk that’s at least three feet wide—between the main pedestrian path and the curb—or on a bike rack placed by SDOT. On blocks without sidewalks, bikes can be parked in a way that doesn’t block traffic.

The pilot ended December 31, and SDOT is preparing final recommendations to be presented to City Council later this spring—including proposed revisions to the rules.

• NEW IN BALLARD | Designated Bike Share Parking Areas [SDOT]