Bicycle repair enthusiasts! We have posted before about the upcoming rollout of Los Angeles’ very first Bicycle Repair Stations, and after receiving many applications from interested businesses we are excited to say that this morning we installed four locations throughout the city. We’re excited to see this project in the ground and happy to offer this unique opportunity for business owners to encourage bicycling in their community. Bicyclists in L.A. can make use of a Bicycle Repair Station at any one of the following locations:

1731 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90041, sponsored by Organix

5125 York Blvd., Los Angeles, 90042, sponsored by The Hermosillo

Sunset Triangle Plaza next to 1521 Griffith Park Blvd., sponsored by Pine and Crane

4343 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008, sponsored by Kaos Network

The Bike Blog caught up with a few key players at the Sunset Triangle Plaza installation to learn more about what the repair stations mean to bicycle friendliness in the community. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell has been making his District more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians around Sunset Triangle in myriad ways. O’Farrell says “I was involved in the creation of the Polka Dot Plaza in 2012 and I’m excited to see it continue to evolve. This new bike repair station will help to further enhance this unique plaza as a hub of pedestrian, cyclist and social activity in Silver Lake.”

For the owner of Pine and Crane, Vivian Ku, the unique opportunity to contribute to the Silver Lake community was what sparked her interest in the Bicycle Repair Station program. Prior to hearing about LADOT’s program, Vivian was looking into installing a bicycle pump outside of her restaurant. “When I reached out to Michelle Mowery of the Bicycle Program about installing a bicycle pump in front of Pine & Crane, I was informed that the LADOT Bicycle Friendly Business Program was developing a program that would partner with business owners to do just that.” For her, it was a wonderful moment of synchronicity. Given that the Sunset Triangle Plaza already provides ample parking for patrons who bicycle in, Vivian is excited to offer “something additional that will encourage and support bicycling in the Silver Lake community”.

The Bicycle Repair Stations are free for the public to use thanks to an agreement between the LADOT and community business partners who agree to maintain the stations. The repair stations include all the tools necessary for basic repairs including a tire lever, phillips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, set of allen keys, set of wrenches (sizes 8, 10, 15, 32mm) and a heavy-duty air pump. QR codes posted on every stand direct users to instructions on how to fix various kinds of bicycle-related problems. Because vandalism and theft of tools has been a concern, LADOT worked with the manufacturer (DERO) to design a lockbox feature to make the stations secure after business hours and overnight. The business partner agrees to make sure the tools are locked away and to replace them if they are stolen (LADOT provides one set of spare parts).

The City used $17,000 in grant money from the Bikes Belong Foundation (now People for Bikes) to purchase 11 repair stands (with a set of spare tools for each). Locations have been selected based on the interest of businesses who agree to become a maintenance partner with the City to ensure the stations stay in good repair. Only seven of our stands have been spoken for! Are you a business interested in partnering with us to host a Bicycle Repair Station? Take a look at the interest form on our website.