Firefighters might be one of the most loved and respected groups of people. Even they, however, sometimes incur rage for doing their jobs. As an example, one firefighter told me about the man who showed up at his firehouse, irate. Turns out, the guy parked next to a hydrant and the firefighters had to damage his car to route the hose and ladder to an inflamed building.
Philadelphia has one of the largest communities of bicycle commuters in the US. In one part of the city, nearly a fifth of all commuting miles are done by bicycle. Riders in the City of Brotherly love have similar complaints to their peers in other cities. One is the lack of bike parking spaces: Especially in central areas, where many work or go to school, cyclists find full racks when the try to park their bikes.
So, you ask, how are those two stories related?
The common thread was woven when three young people met in graduate school for industrial design. Grace Choi, Corey Jameson and Colin Lew formed an alliance called Team Sophon. Under that moniker, they submitted a proposal to the Rack 'Em Up Bike Parking Competition. Along with 16 others entries, Team Sophon's ideas were judged by a panel that included members of the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS), Parking Authority, Fire Department and other agencies. Five of those entries were short-listed, and Team Sophon's was ultimately chosen.
Team Sophon's prototype, called "Harbor," would include a designated space in front of a hydrant where cyclists would stop and steer their bikes to the racks. That space--painted green--would be segregated by flexible barriers like the ones used to separate bike lanes from streets. Steel bollocks were initially proposed for the purpose, but selection committee members expressed concern that they could be dangerous in a crash. And the racks, made from thick steel tubing, would sit under a canopy illuminated by solar-powered lights that would be activated when users enter.
Team Sophon's victory comes with a $3500 prize. To begin, at least two Harbors will be built: one in West Philadelphia and another in the Old City, near a garage owned by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Those facilities will at least make some firefighters and cyclists happy. Motorists, maybe not so much.
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