A huge part of having a lot of Torontonians (and GTAers) use their bicycle on a regular basis (whether it be for recreation, running some errands, or commuting...) is them having piece of mind that they can lock up their bikes somewhere convenient. Even if some people seem to forget about them.

Here in Toronto, we've got a pretty good "lollipop" design of a bikepost and there are apparently about 10,000 of them around the city, with 2,000 more added every year.

If you know of a place that needs "bike parking" anywhere in Toronto, the "stands" are provided free of charge in response to requests received from businesses, residents and cyclists. City staff come and check the location to see if it's feasible, of course.

There are plenty of other bike post and stand designs out there. Some cities take car and word motifs for their inspiration, while others are weird and wacky, yet practical. If you're commuting to work, and your office is not the most inspired in terms of providing bike facilities (my office has underground parking with a simple bikerack that holds about a dozen bikes in the space that one car would take), you can always make your own rack for your cubicle or office!

Some cities though, are truly cycling meccas in terms of bikerack infrastructure. I'm talking about things called bikestations here. Entire facilities built near commuter train lines and public transit to encourage people to use bikes for intra-city commuting. Washington D.C. has (or is planning?) the Silver Springs Bikestation, California and Seattle have bikestation.org (an awesome organization I'd love to see in Toronto), branches of which have bike parking, rentals, repairs, showers, "snackshacks", internet cafes, information desks (for maps and safety info). Chicago has got one in Millenium Park, too.

I don't know about you, but how great would it be if Toronto had something similar at Union Station? Maybe one near Yonge & Bloor? Perhaps some at strategic subway stations (Finch, Islington, etc....) complete with locking facilities, showers, snacks, repairs, cycling experts. If funding is a problem, make agreements with businesses like Tim Hortons and Mr. Sub to provide easy access food to cycling commuters.

Good news. Some people have been thinking about it.

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