Commuters at the Pavilion Park & Ride in Northwest Austin may notice something different in the bicycle parking area. It’s called a BikeLid and it’s a new, safe and eco-friendly way to park your bicylce.
The outer shell protects your bike from theft, vandalism and weather elements. The BikeLid is used in other major cities across the country, like Portland, Tampa and NYC.
Capital Metro was lucky enough to get a free BikeLid with help from the City of Austin’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. We are testing it out to see if bicycle commuters use it and like it. If we get enough positive feedback, we may decide to purchase some at various other transit facilities.
They run from $800-1000, which is why we would not replace all bicycle parking with BikeLids, if we decide to purchase some. Other cities have used the sides of the shell for advertising and that’s something we would definitely consider.
Another benefit to the BikeLid is that it’s made from industrial plastic waste materials and recycled steel and is 100% recyclable.
The BikeLid is extremely easy to use: just lift the shell, place your bike inside, close the shell and secure it with a U-lock. Check out KVUE's story on the BikeLid to see how it works.
We see the BikeLid as another way to encourage cyclists to take transit. So if you’re a commuter at the Pavilion Park & Ride, give the BikeLid a try and let us know what you think.
