New Parking at Santa Monica College: Not Just for Bikes

Riding on Pearl Street a few weeks ago, I noticed preparations for a new bicycle parking lot. This past Saturday, before Santa Monica College students returned for the spring, I had a chance to check out the new bicycle parking. I was surprised to see not only bike parking, but other parking and amenities for those who travel to Santa Monica College without a car.

Unlike the college’s large automobile parking structures, which are accessed via Pico Boulevard, the new bicycle parking is right off of Pearl St., one of Santa Monica’s primary east-west bike lane south of the 10 Freeway.

I estimated around 200 new U-racks with good spacing between each. These new racks will accommodate around 400 additional bicycles. With 32,626 students enrolled last semester, Santa Monica college needs as much parking as it can fit on campus. By fitting space for 400 bicycle commuters and 20 skateboard commuters on land that could accommodate roughly 15 parked cars, the choice for the type of parking should be obvious.

I was surprised to see that parking not only for bikes, but also for skateboards:

After looking at some of the existing bicycle parking, I think those students who value locking their bikes to two points of contact will relish the new racks.

In addition, Santa Monica College has provided two repair stands with tools and a pump.