A Coat Check—For Your Bike!

As a new Berkeley resident, I’m slowly discovering all the cool things the town has to offer. Just recently I came across Bikestation, a “non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in urban communities through the development and operation of bike-transit centers and related infrastructure.”

Modeled after European and Japanese examples, Bikestations offer bike services to the community to promote bicycle riding as a clean transportation option. Some of the services include: free attended bicycle-parking, bicyle repairs, bike-sharing, bicycle rentals, and 24-hour bicycle parking depending on the station. Membership is free at most stations, although some charge a minimal fee of $20 a year for all of these great benefits.

Currently there are Bikestations in Berkeley (CA), Embarcadero (CA), Long Beach (CA), Palo Alto (CA), and Seatlle (WA) with plans to open others in Washington DC and Santa Barbara (CA).