"Assume a 300-pound drunk moron is going to try to bend it, climb it or do something to it, because they will. [The bike rack] has to be built really, really well." — Ken Herndon, director of operations for the Louisville Downtown Management District  Enlarge By Michael Hayman, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal A bike rack by Isaac Duncan III offers cyclists a place to park in Louisville. There are 22 bike-rack sculptures in the downtown area.

Bicycle racks that combine the utility of security with the aesthetics of art are popping up across the USA.

"It creates a better environment for people who live here and visit here, and it gives people a place to park their bikes," says Lacy LaBorde of the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Designs for sculpture bike racks were unveiled Friday, as the Texas capital became the latest community to add art that promotes travel by pedal.

"We hope it's sort of like the cows in Chicago," LaBorde says, in reference to the fiberglass cows that were painted by artists in 1999 and displayed around the city.

Austin's three designs announced Friday include one featuring leaves of steel inspired by plants growing along Austin's bike trail and another depicting giant grass blades sprouting from the concrete.

In Louisville, there are 22 sculptures downtown for bike parking, and plans for 10 more by next spring, says Ken Herndon, director of operations for the Louisville Downtown Management District.

Artists received $2,000 per piece, a rate which may increase to $2,500 for the next sculptures, Herndon says. Regular racks can cost from $200 to $500, he adds. The Louisville Downtown Management District pays for the racks, and they become the property of the city once they are installed.

In Sioux Falls, S.D., artists from across the region are submitting bike-rack art proposals this month for a program designed to promote public art and energy conservation, says Candy Van Dam, client service director and a principal with Insight Marketing Design.

"It's just as easy to build an attractive, functional item as it is an ugly one, so why not do it?" says Jerry Hauck, chair of the Sioux Falls Visual Arts Commission and owner of Monk's House of Ale Repute, a local pub.

In New York City, nine bike racks designed by Talking Heads front man and songwriter David Byrne— including a Wall Street rack that features a dollar-sign design — were installed this year, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

More bike-rack art is in the works as part of a separate contest, DOT spokesman Seth Solomonow says.

When creating streetscape such as artistic bike racks, Herndon says artists should follow "the 300-pound drunk moron rule."

"Assume a 300-pound drunk moron is going to try to bend it, climb it or do something to it, because they will," he says. "It has to be built really, really well."

Artist Tom Crimboli of Eastpointe, Mich., says he was less concerned about vandalism when he created a 30-foot-long sea serpent that holds about 18 bikes in Mount Clemens, Mich., outside Detroit.

"I just had to make it kid friendly, you know," Crimboli says.

"You want the piece to stand the test of time," says Kurt Simmerman, owner of Sawhorse Studio in Boulder, Colo., which created a spider-like bike-rack sculpture for nearby Longmont.

The city awarded $3,000 to each artist for six sculptures three years ago, and "we got a lot of bang for our buck in terms of public artwork," says Lauren Greenfield, Longmont's art in public places administrator and an avid cyclist.

"We have these incredible, very unique bike racks as a result," she says. "They're used and they're well-known throughout the community — and they're really cool."

In Portland, Ore., two giant toothbrushes with dental floss between them doubles as a bike rack. It's one of several in the city, says Timo Forsberg of the city's transportation options division.

"We tend to like things that are a little bit quirky in town," Forsberg says.

Cyclist Rick Risemberg of Los Angeles, who says he bikes 500-600 miles per month and edits the online magazine Bicycle Fixation, says more bike racks are a great idea.

"Street furniture is an important thing in getting people out of their cars," Risemberg says. "Having bike racks that are pretty and clever and make people feel good makes for a better civic atmosphere — it increases the viability of your downtown area."

Martin reports for the Argus-Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Posted 11/2/2008 10:38 PM
Updated 11/2/2008 11:48 PM		E-mail | Print | Reprints & Permissions |
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