As a carefree resident of our urban core, there are two words I catch myself saying lately as I explore Downtown Phoenix and the surrounding areas: ‘nice rack.’
Bike racks are popping up in front of trendy restaurants and other places along the nearly one-year-old light rail line.
Many business owners are realizing more people are using bicycles in connection with mass transit in an effort to clean our air.
We really wanna support a green lifestyle,” says Cindy Gentry of the Phoenix Public Market about the new rack in front of her store. “Our customers have been asking for one for years.”
The popular Phoenix market recently opened shop in new digs after years of selling locally grown and produced items under tents from a parking lot at the corner of McKinley and Central Avenue.
We really want to support a green lifestyle,” says Gentry about the bike rack.
The public market is light rail convenient (south of the Roosevelt station), however it’s a good idea to have a basket or rack on your bike to haul all the tamales, fresh produce, and containers of hummus you’ll want to take home.
Meanwhile, just north of Downtown on 7th Avenue, America’s Taco Shop is also seeing green in greener living.
“I always see people taking the light rail and using their bikes to get to our restaurant,” says America’s Taco Shop owner Terry Bortin.
Bortin says he installed two racks after seeing so many people parking their stylish cruisers out front, a look and feel Bortin loves.
“America’s has kind of become a place for families and their bikes,” says Bortin about his business, which specializes in serving the best carne asada burritos in Phoenix.
(OK, that last part was author commentary)
Local bike store Sun Cyclery donated Postino’s racks you see in the picture.
Wanna see where else I’m finding bike racks? Log onto my Facebook fan page to find more bike racks in our central corridor…
And be sure to check out my blog to find out how businesses are repurposing vintage items and turning them into racks.
By the way, the light rail line extends through Tempe and ends in Mesa in the East Valley. For information on how to ride click here.
