Wheels 2009 - The Photos

This past weekend was the annual Wheels show in downtown Lancaster. I was wondering if there would be any scooter presence this year, but just as I arrived, I saw Ryan and Lauren pulling in with their friend Mike. All three were riding Hondas. A new aquaintence, Vinny, was also there with a red Stella. I pulled my new white Vespa up next to them to make a respectable representation for scooters.

Ryan and Mike showed their Honda Ruckuses, both of which have been heavily modified. Ryan's midnight blue one was sporting a new set of handlebars since I last saw it, but looking pretty finished. Mike's is still a work in progress, looking for that balance of customization vs. complying with PennDOT's arcane rule book.

You really need to know the configuration of a stock Ruckus to appreciate how much work has gone into these. Mike's guages and lights have all been fabricated into the box under the handlebars. And that box has been given a custom airbrucsh/spray paint job by Derek Cochran. Photos cannot capture the eye-assaulting shade of pink on the rims. But it works well with the white, and it's echoed in the outline of the graffiti.

Compared to the boys, Lauren's Metropolitan is the essence of classic style. But don't be fooled; a lot of work went into this also. Honda doesn't make them look like turquoise '57 Chevys. That's a custom paint job on an '02 (which is where the brown seat, floor and grips come from). Note the paint on the swing arm and exhaust covers, for an extra splash of color. A cavernous wicker basket has been added to the back and the wire basket in the leg shield has been wrapped in that same wicker. On top of the new paint has been added brand new chrome badges from '09. The result is a tastefully refurbished Metro that could be confused for factory new.

The scooters attracted the attention of Mayor Gray and his wife, who stopped to talk to Mike, Lauren and Ryan about their own scooters. The Mayor also mentioned the free scooter parking around the ramp of the Prince Street Garage. He hinted that maybe the rule about registering before using isn't being so closely watched... but you didn't hear it from me ;-). He did say that he hopes to create more official scooter parking around town, but can only do so if he can show the existing spaces are being used: so get to the Prince Street Garage! And remember that the scooterist's friend in City Hall is up for re-election this year, so register to vote.

To wrap up, here are some more photos taken around the festival. Remember, you can click on any of the photos above or below to view them larger.

New Parking Meter System Implemented

The City of Lancaster has implemented new multi-space parking meters. You can pay with cash, tokens, smart cards, or with a credit card. You park and note your space number painted on the street. Then find the nearest kiosk, enter your space number and pay for the amount of time desired (up to 2 hours). The kiosk will give you receipt that includes the time the meter is set to expire. The cool thing is that you can add more time from any similar kiosk by entering your space number. No need to run back to the car to feed the meter! For now, the kiosks are just in use in the 4 blocks around the square. The kiosks are solar-powered and reduce the number of parking meters in the streetscape.

Would I use one for my scooter? Probably not… I’ll just pull it up on the curb or use the free parking at the Prince Street Garage. But it’s a cool concept.

Scooter Parking in Cincinnati

I ran into this while searching for something else: Motorcycle and Scooter parking downtown. I like to catalog scooter parking ideas. More designated parking would encourage scooter use. And one of the reasons we don't have more is because local officials don't know how to design and allow for it. Let this site be a clearinghouse.

From Wikipedia:
Cincinnati: 331,285 people, with a density of 3,879 people/Sq. Mi.
Lancaster: 56,348 people, with a density of 7,616 people/Sq. Mi.

What!? Can that be right??? Lancaster has a population density twice that of Cincinnati? Yep, it's true ... I double-checked.

So, who needs scooters more? Scooters reduce traffic congestion and require less space for parking. Cincinnati already knows it.

New Parking Signage

I worked my way through college in a sign shop. So excuse me for a moment while I geek out over the new signage for Lancaster’s parking garages. Have you seen these around town?

OK, I’m messing with you a little. These new name signs are actually vertical. Each garage bears one of these up by the third story. At street level, there is now a bold white “P” in a red circle. This should help those unfamiliar with the City identify the municipal garages from a distance. It’s another step in preparing the City for more tourists in advance of the Convention Center opening. One of the annoying things about finding your way around a new City is finding a public garage, and consistent signage is a big help.

This is a complete re-branding of the Parking Authority. The new E. King Street Garage was going to need signage, and, well… why not do it right, all the way? I like it. The graphics are bold and modern. They contrast with Lancaster’s historic brick architecture, but they should. After all, there is nothing historic about parking. You want them to stand out because they need to be picked out from a moving vehicle, preferable from a block away. Subtle and blending wouldn’t help their function. I think the contrast highlights, rather than detracts from, the character of the surrounding buildings. Take a look at it across the street from Gallery Row:

The font is neither Helvetica nor Microsoft’s perverted version of it, Arial, but it is close enough to perform the same function: clean, modern, efficient. It conveys the meaning without bringing in any external message. And if that paragraph means anything to you, you might enjoy the movie “Helvetica”.

Annapolis, MD

Sunday I took advantage of the beautiful weather and rode down to Annapolis, MD on the motorcycle. It's a place I've heard a lot of nice things about, and I've always wanted to check it out. It lived up to all I'd heard. See the pictures at the end of the post.

I quickly noticed that Annapolis is a scooter town. I saw this area marked specificly for step-through scooters. Note the graphic painted on the ground. Judging from the number of scooters I saw around town, I bet it gets a lot of use. This area must be relatively new, as it doesn't show on aerial photographs. It's a clever use of space, around a corner, at the front of a line of angled parking.

View Larger Map

This website says that there are other areas like it around town.

The Chart House Restaurant.

Parking at Park City?

As I’ve mentioned before, there is no specific parking area for scooters or motorcycles at Park City Center. But sometimes you just have to go there; it’s the heart of shopping destinations in Lancaster County. Friday was one of those days for me. So off I went on my 50cc scooter, up Harrisburg Avenue. As I was approaching the mall, some yellow bollards caught my eye outside of BonTon.

I wanted to lock my scooter, as it can easily be lifted by 2 men, thrown in the back of a pick-up and be gone in 11 seconds. I wanted it to be in a high visibility area, giving would-be crooks less time to work without being spotted. One of these bollards seemed like the best choice in sight. But as I was chaining up, a finger-wagging security guard stopped me. No parking allowed there. Not wanting to be too argumentative, I didn’t ask why. I did ask, “Can you recommend where I should park?” Well, no he couldn’t. He claimed he was new there. So I asked where the Security Office was so that I could get some answers.

I parked in a standard space near the Security Office. I can’t help but wonder how many drivers I frustrated, taking up a whole space for a tiny scooter. Especially such a prime one. But; visibility.

I spoke to the staff at the Security Office, and they were very nice. It took some explaining of the predicament, but eventually the answer was to use the bicycle racks around the East entrance or the food court. “That’s what they’re for.” Well, one can be excused for thinking that they were for bicycles, not plated and registered motor vehicles. But, I was assured that a 50cc scooter would not be ticketed there. One guard even said that he has a scooter and has used those racks himself. That was reassuring.

I asked if I could let other scooter riders know it was proper to park there. They were a little uneasy. “How many? 2 or 3 is OK, but fifty is going to be a problem…” So be forewarned: next time you go to the mall, don’t take forty-nine of your friends.

At this point in our story it seems appropriate to point out that one the criteria for good motorbike parking (or even bicycle) is signage. I didn’t go to a bike rack initially because I didn’t know that I should. Nor did I see any, or know where they were. They aren’t at every entrance. If I’m going to BonTon, and I don’t know that there are racks on the opposite side of the mall, why would I spend the time and energy to circle the whole establishment? But I digress…

So, where should a small scooter park? Well, the bike rack at the East entrance is one-sided due to a landscape island. The worst of the lot. The rack at the food court entrance was pretty good. There is a curb-cut right there, so you can get to it without lifting your scoot. This rack does have a tree on one side, which reduces the number of cycles that can use it, and subjects your scooter to sap and bird droppings (not so nice for the seat). The food court entrance does have a lot of teenagers hanging out there. If you happen to be a teenager, this could be a plus I guess.

The best parking I found was not mentioned by the Security personnel. That was the area outside of T.G.I.Friday’s. It is near a curb cut, out in the open, and accessible from all sides. The bus stop increases visibility. This will be my preferred spot from now on, even when I don’t need a flat-iron steak.

I didn’t ask if there was a size limit on this arrangement. The line between scooter and maxi-scooter can get blurry, and I didn’t think that discussion would go anywhere with the staff on hand. If I had a scooter that was as big as a motorcycle, I would be fine parking in a standard spot. I would feel reasonably comfortable that some frustrated SUV driver wasn’t going to run it over or drag it out of the spot he or she wanted. But a 250cc scooter? I bet a Vespa is going to be fine at the bike rack, while a Morphous might draw the hairy eyeball. Until Park City Center and General Growth Properties, Inc. recognizes the growing trend in motorbike use and gives us some true motorbike parking, we’ll have to use our best judgment along with what advice we can get from their Security Office.

Prince Street Parking Reminder

I've written about this before, but every time I talk to the City or the Parking Authority they like to remind me... so I'm passing it on: there is free scooter parking in the Prince Street Garage. Actually, it's not in the garage, it's around the base of the helix ramp at Prince and Orange Streets. It is under architectural cover, so you'll even be out of the rain if a stray shower pops up. I've waited out a rain there myself. A coffee from Muffin Street gives you something to pass the time with.

You'll want to register with the Parking Authority and get a sticker before you plan to use this free parking. You can do that in the same place: the office is just behind the helix on Prince Street. Open 8-5 weekdays, so maybe you can get there on your lunch hour. (Hey, LPA, that's really inconvenient... do we really need to register for free parking?) The sticker is on a placard, so you don't even have to put it on your scooter. Make your cage-driving friends jealous this First Friday when you can just zip into town and not have to hunt (or pay) for parking!

And speaking of that concrete helix ramp, there is a plan to light it at night with varied colors like the PA College of Art & Design's building. I think that will look cool. That is supposed to be completed by June 2009.

Harrisburg Pike Meeting Follow-up

I attended the meeting and spoke up for scooters. It was odd that they weren't mentioned in the plan, because increasing scooter traffic is known to reduce traffic congestion. My plea was to attract scooter and motorcycle use by providing dedicated parking at the destinations along the route, and making sure that it gets written into the plan and local zoning ordinances. It was really well recieved.

Their plan sounds like a lot of small, common-sense ideas that, taken together, should really make a difference on Harrisburg Pike. It was refreshing to see a plan for improving a part of Lancaster that didn't involve a grandiose central $100 million project. Sometimes synchonizing signals and adding turning lanes and sidewalks is enough.

During my comment about scooters, I gave out my web address. So, for those who are coming here for the first time; #1 Welcome. Take a look around. Explore the links and tags on the right. And #2, the article on parking criteria is here.

MTWV Parking in Columbus

MTWV stands for Motorized Two-Wheeled Vehicle. The City of Columbus, Ohio has started a program that will look at making more MTWV parking available. They are doing it in 2 phases: the first is to put out some parking areas to see how they are recieved and guage the demand, the second will implement those finding with more structured parking with fees. The first phase will consist primarily of "corral" parking: designated boxes inside of which as many MTWVs are welcome to park as possible. Read the short proposal here. It is a fast read, but contains some statistics on MTWV parking in other major cities.
The real news being made here is how fast Columbus City Government has reacted to a call for more parking. A crackdown on parkers in an alley in early June raised the ire of scooterists who organized and demanded dedicated parking. A month and a half later the first spaces were dedicated. Read more about that here.

Parking A Challenge Elsewhere Too

Scooterists in Columbus, Ohio are doing something about parking, and they have started a blog to document the struggle. Let's see if you can fight City Hall...

Speaking of Parking...

It's coming up on a year of having dedicated scooter parking in the Prince Street garage. The Parking Authority siad it would periodicly evaluate how it was working out. So let's take a look...

Here is a Honda Metro parked in the designated spots this morning. Along with my own, it was the only other scooter there. Meanwhile, over at Central Market...





There were 2 scooters parked with the bicycles: a Stella and another Met. So what does this tell us?

Either half of the the scooter riders don't know about the other parking, or they don't care and want to park as close to their destination as possible. I can understand that. One of the points to having a scooter is to not be bound by the parking restrictions of cars. Why volunteer to be bound to a single parking garage?

I also think that the requirment that scooters be registered with the Authority to park in the garage is a discouragement to those spaces being used. "Oh, look! Free parking! Oh, the sign says you need to register... I'd better go somewhere else before they ticket me." Why can't the spaces just be free, without having to register? If you want to put restrictions on it, just post the rules on a sign. That's enough to enforce them.

Motorbike Parking Design Criteria

With the increased sales of scooters and motorcycles (referred to here for the remainder of this entry as “motorbikes“) is coming the need for dedicated motorbike parking. Providing dedicated motorbike parking spaces encourages patrons or employees to ride to your establishment. The potential benefits of this are:
· Reduced traffic
· More available parking area
· Better use of resources, both fuel and space
With this is mind, following are some guidelines for providing motorbike parking.

Space Dimensions

Scooters:
Width: 3.5 -4’
Length: 8-9’

Motorcycles:
Width: 4.5 -5’
Length: 8-9’

Slope and Surface

A motorbike parks on a stand that gives it 3 points of contact with the ground within a long, narrow envelope. This can make them prone to tipping. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the slope and surface.

Slope:

• Slope should be as close to flat as can be attained while still providing adequate drainage. Motorbikes’ brakes are not engaged while parked. The only resistance to the rolling of a scooter or motorcycle in neutral is the stand.


• Slope should be front to rear, lengthwise through the spaces. A side slope will affect the lean angle of a bike on a kickstand, making it less stable.


• Most motorbikes are powered with forward gears only. Only the giant touring bikes, like Honda Goldwings, have a reverse gear. If reversing a bike out of a parking spot is necessary, the slope should be in that direction. Trying to walk a 800lb. bike backward up even a 2% slope is a feat beyond all but the burliest of bikers. If sloping away from the exit is the only option, bikes should be required to back into spaces so they can pull out forward under power.

Surface:

• A kickstand supports a lot of weight in small area. A kickstand can sink into heated asphalt, causing bikes to fall and pavement to become riddled with dents and holes. For these reasons, macadam makes a poor surface for motorbike parking. Gravel is similarly problematic for kickstands, and is easily sprayed into other vehicles by spinning tires. Consider concrete, brick, concrete or stone pavers, or a densely packed fine stone dust.

Location

• Out of the path of other vehicles that could bump them when backing up.


• Keep clear of overhanging trees to prevent bird droppings or dripping sap.


• Avoid nearby gratings into which keys can be dropped.


• All spaces should be grouped together as a cohesive area, as opposed to sprinkled individually throughout the lot. Designers should be discouraged from utilizing “left over” space to fulfill motorbike parking needs.


• Provide architectural cover if possible.

Security

Because 2-3 people can easily and quickly lift a motorbike into a van or truck (I hear that a Honda Metropolitan fits inside a Toyota Prius!), theft is a concern. Position motorbike parking within the overall parking design as you would position easily-shoplifted product inside a store. The location of motorbike parking should have the following security features:

• Adequate lighting


• In a high traffic area to assure plenty of visibility


• Within view of security cameras


• Anchors to which a cable lock can be secured

Signage

• Clearly directing riders to parking from arriving routes


• Clearly indicating the designated area

A disincentive to providing adequate motorbike parking is that zoning ordinances may not count spaces under 180 sq. ft. toward satisfying parking requirements. This is an unfortunate and antiquated reality. An equivalency factor should be written into modern ordinances along the lines of 2-4 motorbike spaces to 1 automobile space.

The part of the equation I cannot answer is what percentage of parking should be converted to motorbike parking. There are formulas for other countries, but America is just beginning its conversion to 2 wheels. Who knows where the ratio will eventually balance out? For now, 1 space for every 20-30 automobile spaces feels right to me.

The inability to provide for 100% of these considerations should not prevent landlords, developers or designers from trying to provide some form of motorbike parking.

For some innovative ideas for providing motorbike parking, click here.

Smart Car

How cute is this? Spotted this morning at Central Market:

If everyone had one, I bet 20 people could park next to Market. They would all be able to park head-in. And we'd all be safe as bumper cars.

Adorable. And the inside is really sporty! It was drawing quite a lot of looky-lous. And, to my amusement, some glares from Volvo and SUV drivers who were looking greedily at the remaining parking space it left. Darn it! It's like half a car, but it's taking up a whole space! It's not fair! Ha-ha. It's time to re-think how we lay out parking. There should be more spaces designed for alternative vehicles like motorbikes and these new Smart Cars.

Not By Scooter Alone...

My lack of updates over the last week was due to my wrestling with a decision. I was buying a new motorcycle. There are some trips that a 50cc scooter can't make. I traded in my Suzuki Boulevard S40 (great bike, but small for my 34" inseam) for a Kawasaki Versys.



This will be a lot more comfortable on those 50+ miles trips. As this site is more about scooters, I won't go on and on about how long I have been lusting after this bike and how great it is.

I will instead tell you that just before buying this, I went downtown for coffee and a muffin at Muffin Street on Orange Street. I was riding the Suzuki motorcycle and was frustrated with finding a place to park it. I guess the scooter has spoiled me. I normally park the scooter up along the Central Market building. I couldn't have gotten away with that with a motorcycle. And the cagers (automobile drivers) had over-parked that stretch (I would have ticketed 2 of them). Or I could have used the free scooter parking in the Prince Street garage. It seemed stupid to have to rent a whole space in a lot or a garage. So I parked about a block away in a legal but little-known free spot I keep in mind for just such occasion (no, I'm not going to share). My point is, at that moment, I really wished I had had my scooter instead.

Parking on Duke Street?

I was downtown yesterday morning on an errand and saw a motorcycle-riding friend on Duke Street. He said that there were motorcycle parking spaces in the Duke Street Garage that used to be used by the police. The police stopped using them when the station moved 2 blocks West. My friend had been parking his bike there, but he said they are now chained off. What's up with that? I will have to investigate. If there really are motorcycle spaces there, that is in line with the Mayor's Strategic Plan. And chaining them off is not!

I'll keep you updated. It's not a priority however, as we are expecting 3" of snow today.

Chutzpah

Sighted this morning...

You have to be either really bold or really clueless to park in front of three No Parking signs.

Parking Now Open!

The free, dedicated scooter parking in the Prince Street Garage is open for use. The article about it appeared in the paper yesterday.

To use the spaces, you must sign a waiver stating that you will not use the space for vehicle maintenance, or for sale or display of merchandise, etc.. There is no parking from 2am to 6am. They also state that they are not responsible for vandalism, damage or loss. Considering that, it would be nice if they would provide some anchors to lock down to.

After signing the waiver, you are given a numbered sticker. The sticker doesn't have to be stuck to your scooter... it actually comes on a plastic hanger card (designed for automobile rear-view mirrors). So you can pull out the card and hang it on your handlebars. The Mayor peeled his sticker off and put it directly on his Honda Elite 80. Of course, the mayor got #001.

A Peek At Parking

I was downtown on Saturday morning again, and saw the areas that the City is setting aside for scooter parking in the Prince Street Garage.

This picture is from the Orange Street side, in front of the elevators. The white lines along the curved wall are spaces reserved for scooters.

This picture looks South on Prince Street. Note the new white lines on the brick pavers at the left.

They could use a few of these but definitely a good use of, as the Mayor asked, the "nooks and crannies" of an existing garage. Remember that we are being asked to sign a waiver and get a sticker in order to use this free parking. I'll be looking into that soon.

Real Parking News

Today I received an Email from Tom Matthews of the Lancaster Parking Authority. He said that they are, "developing spaces for scooter parking on the perimeter of the Prince Street Garage. The areas are directly off of Prince and Orange streets. These spaces will be for Scooters only. "

The areas are not in the garage, but will be covered. And, unlike the spaces inside the garage, they will be free! That's right, free parking for scooters only, in the heart of downtown Lancaster!

There is a slight inconvenience: you must acquire a sticker to use the parking. To get a sticker, you must sign a waiver absolving them of responsiblilty. I guess it must be what's in the fine print on the garage ticket (which I never read). But, hey, I'll sign a waiver and put a sticker on my scooter for more parking options.

The decals and contracts should be ready "in the next few weeks". They will let me know where and when they are available. And when I know, you'll know.

Parking News (which is news and may or may not be information)

I sent an Email asking about scooter parking to both the office of the Mayor of Lancaster and to the Lancaster Parking Authority. I asked specificly if scooters were allowed to park on the sidewalk, and for any information about dedicated space in City lots and garages. So far I have only heard back from Pat Brogan, the Mayor's Chief of Staff.
Ms. Brogan didn't provide any specific information. She only indicated that they are reviewing ordinances and that they "expect to move forward on these initiatives while the warm weather is with us." She also said, "It's a great time to have a scooter in the City!" So, no official news yet. But some encouragement is always... well, encouraging.
Part of the problem may be the overlapping definitions of motorcycle, motor-driven cycles(including scooters, which are also motorcycles), and "pedacycles"(which everyone else knows as mopeds, and are specificly exempted from the other 2 categories, even if they meet the definition). There are also laws about "motorized scooters" which are actually like those Razor scooters with engines on them. Just about all the laws about them prohibit them from being used anywhere by anyone. But they're called scooters.
If this page is to be believed (and my research leads me to believe it, despite it's AOL domain and indigo background), then the real answer is that only "pedacycles" may park on the sidewalk. A "pedacyle" must have operable pedals, like a bicycle. So, no scooters on the sidewalk.
Another interesting law I found on that site: you may park as many motorcycles as you want in a single designated parking space. BUT! If any ONE of those motorcycles sticks out and exceeds the boundaries that a single car would take up, ALL of the motorcycles in that space are considered to be in violation and are each individually liable as if they each were the only occupant of that space. Keep in mind that a scooter is a motor-driven cycle, which is also a motorcycle, and may or may not be a pedacycle or a scooter.
When Ms. Brogan says they are "reviewing ordinances", they have their work cut out for them.