Politics & Government
A More Bike-friendly Elmhurst May be Just an Ordinance Away
Bike parking requirement goes from committee to commission.
The idea of mandating bike parking spaces in some new developments in Elmhurst will likely get a hearing before the city's Zoning and Planning Commission.
Bob Hoel, the leader of the city's Bicycle Task Force, told the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee Monday that while his group has successfully worked with the city, business associations and business owners to install bike racks, an ordinance would take a comprehensive approach to making the city more bike-friendly. Currently, the city does not require developers or business owners to provide bike parking.
DPZ Committee members discussed how the ordinance would be applied in various areas of the city. Committee Chairman Steve Morley is concerned about requiring bike parking in City Centre or in the Spring Road Business District because the city has encouraged new development in those areas to go from lot line to lot line. Committee members said they prefer any proposed ordinance only apply to new developments in other areas of the city. Bike parking in public areas, such as sidewalks and parking garages, would be handled by the city in cooperation with business associations.
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Morley and the rest of the committee also stressed that installation of bike racks should be “cost-neutral” for developers. Model ordinances from Oak Park, Schaumburg and Madison, Wisc., provided by Hoel and Planning and Zoning Administrator Than Werner, allow for those cities to offer developers the option of trading car parking spaces for bike parking, with some parameters.
The committee agreed that developers would not only be providing a service their customers appreciate—and perhaps even demand—but at $200 to $300 per bike, cycle parking is relatively inexpensive to install. A recent success for bikers was developer Smith Capital Management's installation of bike racks at the new mini mall on the southeast corner of St. Charles Road and Route 83.
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Committee members wondered how much demand there is for racks in the city.
“There are as many bikes in the United States as there are people,” Hoel said. “The sad part is that most of them are in a garage and never get used.”
The DPZ Committee recommends sending the issue to the Zoning Commission, and the full City Council has to approve that recommendation.
