by Brianna Crandall — June 21, 2017 — Velodome Shelters, a provider of bicycle parking and storage, has created an online course to help building professionals such as architects and facility planners comply with nascent regulations mandating bike parking and storage facilities and enable a healthier work environment.
The course, “Bicycle Parking Inside and Out,” examines best practices for bicycle racks and shelters for indoor and outdoor bicycle parking and storage, including typical municipal guidelines and regulations, incentives, guidance on shelters, and rack planning and design. The one-hour course is free and is available through AEC Daily, a provider of online continuing education.
Velodome’s VeloPark bike shelter features sweeping lines and a contemporary look, with a small footprint and accessibility from two sides for a range of placement options.
With the advent of sustainable, environmental, health and community development initiatives, bike commuting and ridership are on the rise. Municipalities have begun mandating that bicycle storage facilities be made available according to regulations and local codes. Architects, planners, designers and contractors are being called upon to comply and implement bike parking facilities as required.
Richard Cohen, president of Velodome Shelters, is a design-driven entrepreneur, and his wife and partner, Jane Ancona is an industrial designer and Velodome’s design director. As problem solvers by nature and bike parking suppliers by trade, it became increasingly clear that bike parking and storage is virtually uncharted territory for many of their clients.
Cohen and Ancona recognized the need for an information-based program to educate design and building professionals on the considerations and criteria involved in putting together a bike parking plan. Cohen and Ancona decided that an online course would serve as the best vehicle to disseminate information. Continuing education credits were a meaningful incentive to draw and engage participants.
Velodome had already created a “lunch and learn” presentation on bike parking and storage which AIA/CES had approved for HSW/LU credit. Building on that presentation, and in conjunction with AEC Daily, Cohen and Ancona developed a course that will introduce professionals to the bike parking and storage arena and help them make more informed choices when faced with bike-related projects.
The content covers a wide range of topics including ridership trends, guidelines, planning and product selection. Space efficiency and criteria pertaining to design and layout of bike storage areas and bike rooms are also covered. According to recent feedback, the course has been well received and participants have found the subject matter meaningful.
“Bicycle Parking and Storage Inside and Out” is available online via AEC Daily (Course #AEC1015). The one-hour course is free and approved by many organizations for continuing education (CE, CES, CEU, CPH, CPD, HSW, LH, LU, PDH) credits, including AIA, USGBC/GBCI, HSW, NAHB, BOMI and several others.
