Downtown celebrates new bike corral

West Franklin Street’s new bike corral has bicyclists riding high in their saddles.

The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership held a Park & Party event Thursday evening to cut the ribbon for the new bike corral, which is located in the parking lane across from McDonald’s. Twelve bikes can park comfortably in the new corral.

Bobby Funk, assistant director for the Downtown Partnership, introduced the town departments and various organizations who were vital in bringing the bike corral plan to fruition.

Representatives from the departments and organizations cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Garrett Davis, a long range planner for Chapel Hill, said Franklin Street, unlike many of the town’s streets, is maintained by the state’s Department of Transportation. The plans for the bike corral had to be approved by the DOT before the project could begin, he said.

The corral represents a partnership between Chapel Hill and the DOT, he said.

“To communicate and get the attention of that big ship is frustratingly difficult so when you have some success, it’s something to celebrate,” said Chapel Hill town councilman Jim Ward.

Ward said Franklin Street is the first state-maintained road to boast a bike corral.

Many citizens and town officials are excited for additional bike parking downtown.

Joanne Gardner of Chapel Hill said she moved to the area from Wisconsin a month ago and biked frequently in her old town. She said she biked four miles to attend the event.

“I’ve been wanting to have a reason to bike downtown, so I thought, oh there’s a group of people gathering here and it would be nice to come down and support something that’s really promoting biking,” she said.

And Funk, who bikes to work daily, said he thinks the bike parking was necessary.

“West Franklin Street was badly in need of more bike parking,” he said.

“People have been attaching their bikes to trashcans and signposts in the right of way making it more difficult for pedestrians to get around.”