In a city where bike theft is a very good reason to make you doubt about riding somewhere, providing parking facilities is almost as important as creating new bike paths.

Storage for 150 bicycles at Bike Park. Photo: Bike Park

Whenever we do a story on bike commuting there'll always be a commenter concerned about what happens when they arrive at their workplace. How do they scrub up from a sweaty or rainy ride? Where do they safely and securely store their bike? And all their cycling clobber?

Secure parking is crucial if bikes are to be used more as a main form of transportation (or in combination with public transit). The 1,600 sq/ft Bikestation in Washington DC is a good example of how to do it properly, and it's not just parking: They also have changing rooms, lockers, bike rental, bike repair and retail sales. All of this right next to Union Station, and major transit hub. View video here at StreetFilms.org

Through innovative construction techniques, bike parking facilities have been built in Japan to house large numbers in self-contained underground lots. With a 17 second retrieval time, the machine probably finds the bike faster than the rider would if faced with the same number of bikes lined up in the street.