There’s something undignified about locking a bicycle to a rusty old rack—or worse, if there’s no bike rack at all, chaining it up to the nearest tree or street sign. Fortunately, cities and towns across the country are now transforming the traditional bike rack from an eyesore into a functional amenity that’s also literally a work of art.
The City of Toledo, Ohio’s art bike rack program is in its third year. As of the spring, 30 racks designed by local artists were on the street in neighborhoods ranging from the emerging warehouse district to the hip Uptown.
“We try to select designs that are fun and whimsical and interesting in and of themselves. That’s part of Toledo,” said Nathan Mattimoe, art in public places coordinator with Toledo’s Arts Commission.
Although Mattimoe said some of the city-financed racks may not be as frequently used by cyclists as those in other locations, “We’re kind of OK with that. The racks are also sculpture that provide an aesthetic and infrastructure enhancement to the community.”
The Jersey Shore town of Belmar went with a beach theme for the few dozen racks it has installed along its Main Street commercial and residential district. The racks are designed to look like surfboards or ocean waves.
“Our racks have been very well received, particularly by the business owners located along Main Street,” said Mayor Matt Doherty. “They are heavily used by cyclists and they help bring some artistic flair to what would otherwise be a very dull bike rack.”
Nashville, Tennessee, will have 17 city-funded bike racks installed in parks, greenways, and retail centers by the end of this year. The racks—some of them sculptures reaching 12 feet t
all—are all designed by local artists.
“We’ve worked really hard with our cycling community to promote these bike racks,” said Caroline Vincent, public arts manager with the Metro Nashville Arts Commission. “And we’ve also created some bike tours of public art so people can see our bike racks and we can further promote their usage that way.”
Philadelphia’s art bike rack program is just ramping up following an initial design competition. Margot Berg, public art director with the city’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, said the first of nine racks will be installed in temporary “pop-up gardens” or vacant lots after being displayed in galleries this summer. After that, the racks—paid for by a combination of grant funding and money from developers or property owners interested in having them at their locations—will find permanent homes in Center City. “There is a significant bike commuting and bike delivery/messenger population,” said Berg, adding, “We got a lot of designs from cyclists.”
Portland, Oregon, a city known for its progressive and thriving bike culture, now has between 100 and 200 uniquely designed racks installed through its privately funded Art Rack program that’s been operating for about 10 years.
“These racks are different,” conceded Timo Forsberg of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Active Transportation Division. “They’re not going to freak anybody out, but they add a little whimsy to the streetscaping to make it more fun. … The more things there are for people to notice and enjoy in the streetscape make it a more pleasant place to be.”
Ted Ritter is a special projects manager at the NJTPA.
