I've been thinking about transportation since before I could spell that word. That's probably something that comes with growing up riding public buses and trains to get to school every day. Later on, I'd learn to ride a bicycle, drive, and (of course) ride a motorcycle. And at various times in my commuting career, I'd find ways to incorporate all of those forms of transportation—not to mention plenty of walking—into whatever commute I was doing at the time.
Like most of us do, I tended to notice how easy or difficult it was to park a motorcycle, car, or bicycle the most when I was operating one of those things. Sure, you can fit more motorbikes in the space that a single car occupies, since they can park with their rear tire against the curb and are about as long (especially if parked at a slight diagonal) as a car is wide.
But that parking math relies on there being any space at all in which you can legally park your bike, and where you feel reasonably good that the cars (or massive SUVs) around you will actually see your bike when they're pulling out. And, you know, not totally smash your baby to bits because they SMIDSY.
Now, spending most of my life in and around Chicago, there are a fair number of motorcyclists here. But it's certainly not as much a part of the culture as it is when I've spent time in Asia. In countries like Thailand and Vietnam, you will absolutely see scooters and motorbikes regularly parked on sidewalks, as well as any- and everywhere else.
That's because they're everywhere, unlike here. I distinctly remember visiting a friend's kid in the hospital one time, at Children's Memorial, and marveling that their parking garage actually had a dedicated space for motorcycles. It had a sign and everything, and I was so excited that I actually took a picture of it because I couldn't quite believe it. Naturally, since I'd ridden there, I of course also parked in said dedicated motorcycle parking area before dismounting and walking inside.
While the city of Chiba in Japan (also handily located in a prefecture by the same name) isn't as big as, say, Tokyo, it still has plenty of motorcycles registered within its borders. According to official statistics from 2019, a total of 142,305 motorcycles were on the books that year. And while it's likely that not all of them are out roaming the streets every single day, a fair few of them likely are—and thus, also need somewhere to park.
As of April 2023, new buildings that are over 1,500 square meters must, by law, include a certain amount of dedicated motorcycle parking. It makes total sense, and seems like a much-needed shift toward vehicle-inclusive infrastructure in the area. And while it's unclear what percentage of the 291,539 motorcycles registered in the state of Illinois in 2022 were specifically in Chicago (or traveling into Chicago frequently), adding more dedicated motorcycle parking would be nice.
How's the parking situation where you live, and do you wish it was different? If you do, in what way do you wish it would change? Let us know in the comments.
