The first installation of a new interior bicycle shelter by Duo-Gard Industries is meeting today’s needs for riders and their bikes at the Bay Street Station in Montclair Township, New Jersey. The fully enclosed Bike Safe shelter provides a secure structure in a previously unused but easily accessible space on the ground floor of the station's parking garage.
Opened just three months ago, the Bike Safe is proving popular in this area where many train commuters find parking is at a premium. Storage is available for 24 bikes at any one time, and half the available memberships have already been sold, said Cyndi Steiner, executive director of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, who markets their Duo-Gard Bike Safe shelter as the Bay Street Bike Depot.
The Station previously had bike racks, open and exposed, and riders rode "what they could afford to lose," she added. Now riders can afford to invest in better, more comfortable bikes, making this alternative transportation more attractive.
Montclair's 12-ft by 20-ft Bike Safe features keycard access, 24-hour security cameras, 3/8th-inch thick acrylic walls and 18 available lockers for personal items.
"Bike security, rider safety and available parking space are the main concerns today. Our new Bike Safe addresses all three effectively," said Michael Arvidson, Duo-Gard's executive vice president. "Now we can turn any unused interior space, especially at train and bus stations, into a valuable and attractive asset for our communities and their residents."
He said the Bike Safe's modular approach is scalable and can be adapted and custom-engineered to take advantage of almost any site: "Until now, people took a haphazard approach to this. Now, with Duo-Gard's collaboration and recommendations - such as the space-saving stackable racks used at Montclair - they can achieve critical goals and do it cost effectively.”
Duo-Gard’s close collaboration was important, said Steiner: “Duo-Gard designed this based on our needs. There was true collaboration from the beginning. It was fantastic.”
Steiner said support for the project came from Sustainable Jersey, PSEG, Partners for Health, NJBWC and The Pinnacle Companies, a local real estate developer that focuses on redevelopment and next-generation projects. Brian M. Stolar, NJBWC Chair and the President and CEO of The Pinnacle Companies, added that the plan is to utilize the revenues to invest in more shelters. The Montclair shelter, which is a collaboration between the NJBWC and Montclair Township, is a promising start.
“We’ll sell various types of memberships, including weekdays only, weekends only, monthly and annual. We haven't even begun to actively market the Bike Safe spots, but the demand is obvious," Steiner said. “We’re hearing from women who say they feel much more secure now preparing for their ride in a safe place. And one man pointed out how much money he saves over conventional parking by riding his bike and parking it in the Bike Safe.
