A bike parking and repair station opened at Civic Center Station today, providing BART and Muni Metro riders secure parking for 89 bikes, accessible only with a paid key card. Bike racks with another 60 spots were added outside the paid station area, adding to 63 existing rack spots.
The paid parking was originally expected to be ready more than two years ago, in June 2013.
Transportation officials and advocates held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the station's opening. Tom Radulovich, director of Livable City and a BART Board member, noted in a statement that Civic Center Station is "where several of the most popular San Francisco bike routes converge, which means a lot for commuters heading into the East Bay."
The total addition of 149 bike parking spots was initially planned to be 150 to 175. But the cost, which included upgrades to existing parking, also dropped from the original estimate of $830,000 to $650,000. It was paid for with local Prop K sales tax funds, the Prop AA vehicle registration fee, and state Prop 1B Lifeline funds.
There are five other BART Bike Stations at Embarcadero, Fruitvale, 19th Street in Oakland, Ashby, and Downtown Berkeley.
As BART bike program manager Steve Beroldo recently told Hoodline, the 24-hour "controlled access" bike station adds "an extra level of security because we know who’s entering and who’s leaving." To park in the gated bike rooms, users need a BikeLink card and pay 3 cents an hour. The service also includes bike pumps and tools to use for repairs.
