We are deeply disappointed in the removal of bike parking in Benson. The bike corral served up to 12 people on bikes but we have traded that for parking for one vehicle. ModeShift Omaha advocates for moving away from a car-only focus on transportation and this is one more example where the city has made the choice to focus exclusively on vehicles.
It is not the issue of one bike corral or of one parking spot, it is a statement of values by the city. This is a signal to people who bike, people who ride the bus, and people who walk, that the city does not prioritize your needs.
We are also frustrated by the lack of government transparency. There was no communication between the city and the community, the business owner, or the Benson Business District.
We look forward to working with the city on replacing this bike parking and are eager to find additional locations around the city where the public realm can be better used by people, not only people in cars.
It would be better if the parking was simply relocated. It could be placed on the wide sidewalk across the street in front of the community center and in close proximity to the fixit station. It would be neater than the randomly scattered scooters that will again litter the corners in Benson in the spring.
This issue isn’t about one bike corral. This is about the use of public space. On Maple, there are two travel lanes, a center turn lane, and parallel parking on both sides of the street. That is 50 feet of pavement dedicated to cars. People on foot and people on bikes should not have to fight each other for the limited amount of remaining space.
This issue is one of priorities on the part of the city. What matters? Who do we serve? Based on the state of many of our sidewalks, based on the disconnected nature of the few bike lanes we do have, based on the state of the bus stops, it is clear that the city does not prioritize people who are not in a car. The removal of the city’s only bike corral is simply further evidence of what the city values.