What is Supervised Bicycle Parking?

Supervised bike parking is like a coat check for bicycles. The guests who arrive at your event by bike are issued claim tickets in exchange for their bikes and our staff guards them in a secure corral. Often the best big events take place in locations where the is minimal permanent bike parking provided, and event organizers who hope to encourage their guests to arrive by bike are not sure how to provide adequate and safe parking for their guests’ bikes. People don’t ride to events where their bikes aren’t safe and where they worry about whether they will find a place to lock up their bike. Cyclists appreciate the ease of lots of dedicated bike parking and the extra security.

Why should YOUR event provide Supervised Bicycle Parking?

There are a number of reasons why planning for bicycle parking should be a part of your event planning. Here are just a few:

• Encourage safe cycling. We care about rider safety too. When we find potentially dangerous mechanical problems, we either fix them on the spot or alert the rider. We always provide the best information about safe riding and bicyclists’ responsibilities.
• Keep your event tidy. Why turn your staff into bad guys when crowd issues require you to exclude bicycles? Adding bike parking allows them to be positive and friendly when directing cyclists to the parking corral. As a bonus, people who would have locked to poles and fences will seek out the corral instead.
• Reduce traffic problems. Several thousand cars descending on an event means community disruption and attendees who are grumpy after long searches for parking. With a little encouragement, many will come by bike.
• Increase attendance. Faced with the nightmare of driving in the city, many people prefer to ride to local events, but they can’t really enjoy themselves if they’re worried about their bikes. Secure parking means more people will visit and stay longer.

Why partner with WashCo BTC to provide bicycle parking?

We save you time and money! You could run your own bike parking corral, but why bother? We have over 15 years experience providing supervised bike parking, and in all that time the bikes entrusted our care have always been reunited with their owner. Our complete service means no hassles for organizers. All you need to do is mention the service in your advertising, notify your security personnel, and supply us with a secure perimeter, a few police barricades and a table for our literature and donation box. We set up, take down and run the corral. As a bonus, our service reduces your cost for car parking and staff to direct traffic. We carry $1 million in liability and can list you as additional insured. Our base rate is about the same as what you’d have to pay just to hire staff. Discounts are available for low-budget noncommercial events.

Why is the WashCo BTC involved with Supervised Bicycle Parking?

Empowering more cyclists to use their bikes as an everywhere everyday option is important to us, and we believe that providing safe, reliable and easily accessible parking is key. People come together in many ways to build connections and community, and events are often a part of the movement of building sustainable communities.

Bring us to your event!

For more information or to arrange for our Supervised Bicycle Parking Service at your next event, please send an e-mail to events@washcobtc.org.

Volunteering to Help

Volunteering to park bikes is a ton of fun! Sign up with some friends and make a day of it. Parking volunteers often get free admission or other perks at the event where they volunteer, and cyclists arriving at the event are always happy to see you and fun to talk to. Check out volunteer opportunities on our volunteer page.