The Norwalk Parking Authority advanced its rebranding as Park Norwalk with the grand opening of a new space for bicyclists at the South Norwalk train station.
A small section of the station’s garage, equivalent to the dimensions of approximately two parking spaces, has been set aside and consists of a newly painted blue floor with 10 sturdy metal posts alongside a fixed bike pump and repair station. The designated section can offer a secure bicycle space for up to 20 commuters.
“It’s really great that we were able to capture this portion of the garage and give it such a vital use,” said Eric Rains, the chairman of the board of directors for Park Norwalk. “The bike stations were located in a fairly remote area of the garage and by bringing them here adjacent to both the main doors and the main vehicular entry for the garage we were able to include elements like the pump and repair station.”
Photo by Justin McGown.
Rains described bicycle parking as a vital component of plans to improve parking across the city.
“By providing that,” continued Rains, “we want to indicate to cyclists that they can count on knowing that it’s here, and that the Parking authority is working throughout the city on the upgrading and replacement of facilities like pay meters. Those efforts are intended to make parking more convenient and accessible whether they’re in their car or on a bike.”
Alongside the in-garage parking, a bike rack emulating the SONO sign at the corner of Main and Washington streets was installed at the New Haven bound side of the station. A train-shaped rack was also installed at the East Norwalk Train station.
According to Jim Travers, the city’s director of transportation, mobility and parking, the sacrifice of two parking spaces is an easy trade to make when considering the overall return on investment.
“We did the painting in-house, we worked with Sherwin-Williams to determine an appropriate paint for the floor, and we worked with a local company for the decals on the wall,” he said. “The racks are roughly $200 a piece. So, for about $1,000 and a couple gallons of paint I think we now have a really great looking facility that frees up 20 spaces and improves the access to the station itself.”
“In a way it modernizes the facility,” Travers added, “and I think anything that makes your environment feel better makes everybody’s ultimate parking experience better, whether that’s on a car, a bike, or on public transportation.”
Tanner Thompson, the chairman of the city’s Advisory Commission for Biking and Walking, arrived for the press conference to launch the space on his own bicycle.
“I want to call out a few things that I’m really excited about here,” Thompson stated. “One of the biggest concerns that keeps people from using a bike to get around town is the question of will their bike be there when they get back from whatever they’re doing. Having a place where people are confident that their bike will be there when they get back is important. There are people in Norwalk for whom this is their only mode of transportation and providing a safe place for them to bike is not only good for the environment, it’s good for economic equity in Norwalk.”
