Artistic Bike Racks Initiative

This past Friday, Newton Villages brought together of a group of of people from different city departments and community organizations to discuss the creation of a city-wide initiative involving Newton’s artists, bicyclists, and others who are interested in working together to bring art and bike racks into our village centers.

We identified some fundamental requirements and concerns about bike racks:

• Sizing and locating racks according to user needs,
• Choosing styles of racks that may allow artistic expression without undermining their utility,
• Using materials that would minimize maintenance and repair needs,
• Being mindful of other public space needs, especially snow-removal,
• Addressing zoning regulations for placement on public vs. private property, and
• Creating signage that directs people to bicycle racks and (pending a zoning change) credits sponsors.

The impetus for this initiative was, of course, the aldermen’s requirement that Panera Bread install a bike rack, among other improvements, in Newton Centre. However, as we discussed, our efforts need not be tied to the budget for that specific rack or the timing of its installation. Most importantly, as pointed out by Candace Havens, acting director of the Planning and Development Department, we really need to define a process by which our coalition can work with city departments to bring many, many elements together.

I proposed that we break this project down into several task groups, as follows, and I would like to solicit volunteers to spearhead each of these groups.

1. Site Planning: Identify locations in village centers where bike racks may be needed. We will need a city-wide plan and ideas about how that plan might be implemented in phases. As David, Carol, and others explained, placement of racks around schools is a fairly straightforward process. Placement in village centers will require coordinating with many different stakeholders and addressing conditions that change over time.
2. Equipment Specifications: Identify which bike rack designs and materials generally offer good utility while also providing an opportunity to bring art into the public realm. This group may also investigate the benefits and drawbacks of temporary and permanent bike rack installations. This group might study successes and failures elsewhere and interview Newton bicyclists and artists who work with metal.
3. Juried Competition Planning: Define a process by which Newton artists would compete for the chance to have their artistic bike rack installed. This group would examine how competitions have been run in other cities, including their budgets and outcomes.
4. Funding Research: Investigate possible public and private funding for this initiative, including local merchants and businesses, government grants, and private donors.
5. Outreach: Work to bring merchants, residents, PTOs, neighborhood associations and other groups into this conversation and find more volunteers who can help with task groups #1-4 listed above. This group should create an online space to foster greater communication about this initiative.

I would like to take the reins for #5, although I would be happy to share that load. (If you might suggest people and groups we should reach out to, please contact me with that information.) If you would like to volunteer to lead one of these other task groups – or know someone who would be great at it – please let me know. I would be happy to give you or that person a very important-sounding title.

My sincere thanks to  everyone at City Hall: Candace Havens and David Koses from Planning and Development, Clint Schuckel from Engineering, Carol Stapleton from Parks and Recreation, and Sarah Ecker from the Mayor’s office. Thanks for the time contributed and input given from Mindy Gregory Sieber of the New Art Center, Lois Levin of Bike Newton, and Jeannie Smith of Newton Civic Pride. Thanks also for the interest of Ellen Fisher of Newton Open Studios, and Sean Roche of the Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force.

Let’s move forward and make something good happen.