Planning Board Reviews Bike Parking in Chatham Borough

The Chatham Borough planning board’s new planner provided preliminary suggestions during the board’s meeting May 18 meeting on how to improve the borough’s parking standards.

In her first meeting as planner, Susan Blickstein discussed points she had made across two memos to board members.

In the memos, Blickstein analyzed the result of a 2009 study of Chatham’s six business zones and then offered her suggestions. Board members had decided last year that the study, executed by the Taylor Design Group, .

Discussion of the parking standards for non-residential uses, which Blickstein focused on in one of the memos, dominated most of the conversation.

 “You will see areas [in the memo] where I actually suggest something that’s a little bit different, but I really tried to build on the work that was previously done with respect to the recommendations for parking standards,” she said.

Bike Parking

Building on the previous report’s blanket suggestion that bicycle parking be required for nonresidential uses, Blickstein recommended one space for every 10 required car spaces.

She said she would also suggest adding additional standards regarding where the parking would be located and how it should be used, but said she would avoid from any guidelines that restrict design creativity or dictate exactly what the parking space should look like.

Board President Rich Crater spoke for the present members, saying the board liked her suggestion.

Blickstein also explained that most bike parking constructs – usually a pole with a loop or an inverted-U – allow for two bikes to be tied up. After reviewing site plans, she said she will be able to provide suggestions on what type of right rack might be most efficient for each individual lot or parking area.

“We should encourage more bike transportation,” Blickstein said. “It would be good for public health and reducing congestion.”

Board member Susan Favate mentioned that she occasionally sees electric scooters in town and asked if there is a way to facilitate their further use via accommodated parking.

Blickstein said she is not familiar with any U.S. standards regarding scooter, admitting that any regulations probably pale in comparison to those in Europe, where the vehicles are incorporated more into everyday travel.

“And I don’t think they have a problem with parking because they can easily take their own space or create a space at the end of an aisle,” she said.

Other Parking Standards

Bruce Harris, the Borough Council's liaison to the Planning Board, asked that decisions on Blickstein's suggestions for shared parking be put on hold until the borough's parking task force can complete its tests and come to a decision on this topic.