City of Mobile and Delta Bike Project Partner to Create Downtown Bike Parking

Jun 5th, 2017

What originally began as a simple bike rack has transformed into a safe space for cyclists in Mobile. The City of Mobile and Delta Bike Project have teamed up to upgrade the on street bike parking in Downtown Mobile.

"Creating a bikeable community has been a priority of this administration since taking office and was identified as a priority by our citizens during the Map for Mobile long range planning process," said Mayor Stimpson. "It is important that we provide the citizens of Mobile with the necessary infrastructure to feel comfortable biking across the City of Mobile. Whether it is creating a safer, more bikeable Water Street or connecting Downtown Mobile with the Three Mile Creek trail, making Mobile pedestrian and bike-friendly will connect our neighborhoods and businesses and move us forward on the path to becoming One Mobile."

At the intersection of Dauphin and Joachim Streets, the City has implemented a new green paint scheme to delineate the bike parking space and installed bumper blocks to ensure safety from vehicular traffic. Over the weekend, Delta Bike Project installed new bike racks and flower planters to beautify the space. In the coming weeks, the City will place white tubular markers for reflectivity and height when the bike racks aren't in use. The upgrades coincided with the Food Network filming that took place at LoDa Bier Garten on Monday.

"What started as a small fundraising idea by Bier Garten staff to install a bike rack on Dauphin Street has led to a partnership between business owners, non-profits and our City leadership that has transformed a key downtown intersection into a beautiful and safe space for 18 bicycles," said Jeff DeQuattro, Executive Director of the Delta Bike Project. "We are grateful for support from MPD, City Traffic Engineering and the City leadership in supporting projects like these that allow citizens and non-profits to improve the livability of Mobile."

In 2015, Mayor Stimpson and the Delta Bike Project unveiled the first bike rack at LoDa Bike Project during the Delta Bike Project's Gears and Beers fundraiser. The bike rack was was so successful that it led to 15 fixit stations and pumps and and bike parking for 40 bikes.