bike valet

We recently came across a video of professional bike valets in Japan. In uniforms including white gloves, these gentlemen are staioned throughout Tokyo to park and protect bikes while their owners are shopping, dining, or attending class.

You may be thinking, "ah, yes, another example of bike infrastructure that would never work in the US." But did you know about the extremely successful bike valet program at SBC park in SanFransisco? The park has been offering valet bike parking for Giants games for over a year now.

We've even had valet for bikes in Ann Arbor a few times. The getDowntown program has organized valet service for event like Midnight Madness and outdoor film screenings. This leads us to contemplate other events with heavy traffic within easy biking distance from downtown and campus. Yes, we're talking about UofM football games.

Ypsidixit recently reported on a sustainability meeting where the speaker mentioned the need to link sustainability with fun. Over 100,000 people show up on game days for the rivalry and revelry of UofM football. The biggest hassle of the day is getting to the game. Bike valets could help link the fun of football with the benefits (and fun!) of getting around by bike.

What do you think? Would townies and students be more likely to bike to games if they knew they would have a safe place to park? Would you be willing to volunteer an afternoon as a bike valet?