FABB Blog

 

New bike racks at school headquarters building

Hitch rack at FCPS Gatehouse Road offices

Fairfax County Public Schools staff recently installed new visitor bike parking at the entrance to their headquarters offices located on Gatehouse Road in Merrifield. We requested the racks last year and property management staff were receptive to the request. They also agreed to meet with us and the county bike coordinator to discuss installation and specifications of the rack.

We've learned from previous rack installations that many, many factors are involved in getting the right rack installed correctly in the right location. The type of rack used at this location is referred to as the hitch rack (see photo) that allows two contact points on a bike that is parked parallel to the ring. A U-lock can easily be used. Most communities prefer either the inverted U rack or the hitch rack.

Entrance to FCPS headquarters

The preferred location for visitor parking is near the entrance to the building, within sight of security if present, or visible by people entering and exiting the building. The more eyes on a bike the safer it is.

The rack needs to be properly anchored if it's a single rack. If the base is not solid, sometimes concrete needs to be poured to provide a good foundation.

A good guide to bike parking at commercial locations is 12 Bike Parking Essentials for Retailers. If you ask for bike parking at places you visit regularly you might want to print the flier and use it as a reference.

Thanks to FCPS for working with us to provide good visitor parking. It's greatly appreciated.

Labels: bike racks, fairfax county public schools, fcps, gatehouse road, hitch rack

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:13 PM permalink