Bike Parking at the Hockey Rink

Victoria's "Save On Foods" Memorial Arena is the city's hockey and big concert venue. The project went through a public referendum process and the cycling community negotiated a promise to incorporate secure, weather protected bike parking facilities into the plans. For events where arena patrons may attend for a few hours, a higher level of security is necessary. In Victoria's wetter winter, when hockey season is in full swing, appealing to fans who might like to ride demands weather protection also.

A key feature of the parking scheme includes the "bike bank" rack system by Saris that also includes a gear locker where panniers, back-packs or helmets can be stored. Patrons are prohibited from bringing packs etc into events so the extra storage is important.

Most bike racks don't have moving parts and most bike parking professionals recommend against them, except for unusual circumstances. We thought in Victoria that the arena project was a destination where this system made sense. "Bike bank" designs are available from a couple of companies but no longer appear on the Saris product list.

Another secure, weather protected parking system is the "bike lid", () which includes an individual enclosure for bikes.