Bike Rack Found

Not sure if this rather economical bike rack existed prior to my missive to the mall people, but let's assume it's the result of community minded corporate types responding to denizens with transportation issues, at least for the purpose of instilling false hope among area bicyclists. This rack is quite wimpy though, with intermediate vertical bars looking like they could be wrenched back and forth with some good elbow grease and ultimately fractured. Is it bolted to the ground or wall? I didn't get a chance to check -- but I'm whining. 

In these parts, this minimal nod to bicyclists is cause for celebration! Yes, that's right, because I'm not sure how much more infrastructure we'll see for bikes until gas hits four bucks again. 

Are there are mathematical functions related to increased numbers of bike racks and bikers? Surely! Do they entail the number of younger people in a city? The presence of absence of pro-bike policy? How about the number of religious die-hards? More postulating and ranting on this later.

What might a health impact assessment (HIA) make of the presence or absence of more or less biking? For example, Spokane's recent HIA associated reduced pollution,  greater pedestrian safety, reduced noise, reduced expenditures on fuel and maintenance and increased mental health with policies that incorporate bicycling in pedestrian plans.

Corporate Bike Racks?

At the beginning of this week I began what might be a fruitless pursuit -- trying to reason with the mall people. Following my suggestion to the book selling people, I continued my quest for a bike rack in a friendly email to the property management company -- the mall people. In addition to describing the problem, I offered a few web links to bike rack manufacturers.

As readers of earlier posts might know, I'm contending with paltry locking options. Today I rode my trusty Trek on another errand and had a chance to photograph the stand pipe lock-option:

These pipes are the only bike locking options at the local mall, save for a flimsy fence at the grocery store and weakly rooted directional signs among so many cars in an adjacent parking lot. While I am entirely aware of the broader range of problems in the world, the absence of bike racks among so many stores and shoppers reflects the implicit deal between mall people and car people!  Surely the mall people would be interested in supplying a $1,000 investment to their customers, many of whom are in very close proximity to the mall and could easily bike there if they weren't in bed with the car people. Surely hundreds would arrive on bikes if only the suggestion were made!

It does seem that here in central PA a bike rack is a far more feasible goal than a bike lane, the latter (to your typical voter in these parts) a veritable Communist plot to hinder efficient consumption!