Bicycling in New York City is becoming increasingly popular and the city has thankfully started to take notice. In a city where theft is rampant(I know, my back wheel was sadly stolen outside of my job last week), bike racks are precious street real estate. There is nothing worse than locking your bike to scaffolding or a street sign, walking away and wondering if it will be there in one piece when you get back.
Over the next two weeks, new bike racks are being unveiled all over the city. However, you’ll notice that these racks aren’t your usual run-of-the-mill U shaped racks. These racks are designs by David Byrne, a long time New York biker/artist/celebrity. Byrne’s bike racks were inspired by the collaboration between the Department of Transportation, Cooper-Hewitt, Google and Transportation Alternatives who organized an international city bike rack design competition. Byrne sat on the competition’s jury and ended up submitting nine designs(not part of the actual competition) for bike racks that will be placed all over the city. His designs produced racks shaped like cars, dollar signs, squiggles, dogs, and my personal favorite, a reclining woman bike rack, which will be stationed near 42nd entitled, “The Olde Times Square”.
The competition, whose results will be part of an exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in October, have recently announced the finalists.
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