New facility offers secure indoor bicycle parking
By now, many of you working or visiting Downtown have noticed the giant bicycle painted on a bright-green backdrop on the side of the Century Building with two matching shipping containers at the street level below, and wondered what in the world it could be.
As you know, one of the biggest issues with biking to work is the lack of protected bike parking. That very issue is being addressed with those two shipping containers. Now, for $100 a year 26 commuters can lock their bikes up securely inside those containers and not worry about their bikes being stolen, or items being pilfered from them.
This “Bicycle Commuter Center” is the brainchild of Bill Gatti from TREK Development Group, the company that developed the Century Building in partnership with neighborhood stakeholders to try to attract young people of various incomes to live Downtown. When asked about the inspiration behind this project, Mr. Gatti gave us the following statement:
The vitality of downtown is contingent upon the creation of 24-hour residential traffic. Critical mass will only be attained through development of living options for a variety of income levels and life-styles. Trek Development Group recognized a need for moderately priced rental housing and worked with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to make the Century Building a realty. The Bicycle Commuter Center was a natural extension of our goals to create an environmentally healthy and sustainable community.
Bike Pittsburgh is excited about how this bike parking center could help Downtown employers become more bike friendly. Many employers have had trouble finding a way to work with building owners and managers to allow their employees to bring their bikes inside. Now an employer could simply pay for, or at least partially subsidize secure parking spaces for their employees. These types of expenses can also potentially be reimbursed through the new Federal Bicycle Commuter Tax Credit.
If this project is successful, it will surely help inspire other local developers to integrate bike-friendly facilities into their designs.
The funding for this project was provided partially by TREK Development Group which contributed both monetary and in-kind support, and partially funded with federal Transit Enhancement funds through Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
Bike Center Leasing Details
The Century Building is located at 130 7th St, between Penn Ave and Fort Duquesne Blvd – a stone’s throw from the Andy Warhol Bridge and PNC Park.
Indoor secure parking is available by calling the management office. (412) 688.7200. The cost will be $100/year (payable in 2 $50 installments) plus a $10 deposit for their key fob. Leases will run April 1 to March 31. There are 21 FREE wall-racks and Bike Pittsburgh Three Rivers Racks outside to accommodate short term cultural district parking.
Not a member of Bike Pittsburgh? Join today! We need you to add your voice! Bike Pittsburgh works to protect cyclist’s rights and promote the vision of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and to ride. For more info, check out: www.bike-pgh.org/membership
6 Comments
Wow – those look amazing! Great use for surplus shipping containers, and I have rack-envy looking at the covered short term spots.
Can’t wait until we get our racks at the brewery!
I think it is awesome. I keep meaning to call to reserve my spot. I wonder if $100 per year is reasonable, however.
Is $100.00 per year reasonable? Is $1,000.00 a year reasonable for a health club membership? It is reasonable if it is used as often as it should be, or in the case of the weather in Pittsburgh; could be.
i think it is. especially if you are able to figure out the fed bicycle commuter tax credit.
[…] the Point at the Century Building at 130 7th St, near the Andy Warhol Bridge, Downtown. You will find a number of free, secure bike racks. Just look for the huge, green bike […]
[…] Building (7th and Penn) offers covered, secure parking inside repurposed shipping containers. You can lease a space for $100 annually. Free parking racks are installed outside the building as […]