30th Street Station Getting New Bike Racks

A few weeks ago, Philly’s bike coalition drafted a petition asking Amtrak for better bike parking. (Due to rusty zombie bikes, minimal space, and ongoing construction, it’s near-impossible to get a spot.) To which Amtrak, along with the City, said…OK, fine. Bike racks are coming, baby! And apparently all it took was 184 signatures.

Here’s what dreamy Amtrak robot Julie Amtrak told the bike coalition they’d do.

• When the West Plaza Project on the 30th Street side is completed in November, it will include spaces for at least 80 bikes. They will accomplish this by installing ten new racks (each rack can hold 8-10 bikes).
• For the 29th Street side of the station, Amtrak will install six bike racks that each hold 8 bikes, for 48 total spaces. (Special thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, aka MOTU, for providing Amtrak with the six racks.)
• MOTU and University City District (UCD) will assist Amtrak in the removal of abandoned bikes.
• To address the incidences of Vespas and motorcycles parking at the bike racks, the Amtrak Police Department is stepping up enforcement and will ticket or tow them if they can’t get the owner to move the motor vehicle.

Vespas! Everybody hates Vespas today!