'Tis long been known that finding a decent parking space in downtown Boston is harder than finding a productive employee on a Friday afternoon in the summer. And, if drivers do find decent spaces, they're likely to be villainously pricey.
Bicyclists don't necessarily face the same pricing nightmares as drivers. But more and more of them are facing the headaches of long searches with only so-so results. Per Beth Teitell in The Globe:
Even as Mayor Thomas M. Menino continues his push to unseat cars as king in Boston, cyclists are starting to sound like drivers. They're griping about rack hogs who take up more than one space. They're avoiding areas where they know there won't be a single rack, parking meter, tree, gate, fence, railing, or sign that's not already hosting one or more bikes. And just like the very motorists over whom they lord with their zero body fat, they're complaining if they have to walk more than a couple of blocks from bike parking spot to destination. The city, of its part, says it's adding more racks as are the MBTA and private companies (and surrounding towns and cities like Cambridge). Bike racks are also becoming works of public art in some cases, upping the ante for what's acceptable in terms of parking. But! The region seems to be a victim of its own cycling success: There are, simply put, a lot more bikers on the roads these days— the number of daily Boston bike trips hit almost 55,000 in 2012, up from 30,000 five years before— and not enough spaces to suit them. Cry me a freakin' river, say drivers.
· Like Motorists, Bike Riders Scramble for Spaces [Globe]
· Bloodless Coup in Boston! Car Overthrown as City's King! [Curbed Boston]
· The Priciest Parking Spaces in Modern Boston History [Curbed Boston]
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