Friday, December 6, 2013 - By Anonymous - No comments
Raleigh: Using Technology to Crowdsource and Crowdfund Bike Planning Initiatives
“Biking is definitely on the rise,” said Jennifer Baldwin,
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Raleigh.
The city has made numerous investments to advance
bike-friendliness, including bike lanes and infrastructure. Now, the city harnesses
technology and one of its greatest resources for bike rack planning: its
residents.
For two weeks in November, Raleigh residents proposed bike
rack locations throughout the city. Raleigh used SeeClickFix as a platform for
crowdsourcing – bringing together people, ideas and resources - to determine
the best locations for these new racks.
Citizens suggested and voted for bike rack locations by
selecting the “Pick a Bike Rack Location!” service request through SeeClickFix.
Thirty requests were submitted, and there are a few competitive
contenders:
A bike rack at the Moore Square parking deck means
residents would no longer need to attach their bikes to poles and staircases.
Additional bike racks in Blount Street and Person Street also received ample
citizen endorsement.
Raleigh citizens will be able to make monetary
contributions - also known as crowdfunding - through neighbor.ly for artistic
bike racks.
The specific bike rack locations have yet to be decided,
as a number of factors need to be considered. Jennifer Baldwin noted that popularity
and demand are major factors in selecting the locations. However, the city
also needs to determine whether the bike racks will actually
fit in the proposed locations and whether they are on state right-of-way or city right-of way properties.
The initial planning of the crowdfunding initiatives began earlier
this summer and the city continued promotion of this service request on
their site
and through local press.
Stay tuned for the final locations and pictures of these
bike racks!
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