As Baton Rouge becomes more bike friendly, the Downtown Development District has installed two bike repair stations downtown aimed at making it easier for cyclists to change a tire, inflate a tube and tend to other bike troubles that might arise on a ride through downtown.
The two stations—one on the River Road bike path across from the Raising Cane’s River Center, the other on North Boulevard near Sixth Street—cost around $4,880, says DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer.
The bike repair stations were paid for with grant funds the DDD received related to the ongoing greenway project, and Rhorer says the DDD purchased the most sturdy stations available to save money on future maintenance.
The stations, constructed of heavy-duty steel and bolted to the ground, are not related to the city’s new bike-sharing program scheduled to launch later this year. The repair stations can be used by any cyclist on any bike, and each station has a wheel chuck and bike hanger, a tool set and an air pump with a pressure gauge.
Rhorer says he got the idea for the stations after seeing them while visiting the Sierra Nevada brewery in Asheville, North Carolina.
“These are just a part of the work we’ve been doing, we’ve been committed to building these greenways and the greening of downtown,” Rhorer says, adding that bikes are no longer just recreational as more people begin to use them to commute to work downtown.
If all goes well with the stations, Rhorer says the DDD will acquire and install more in the future.
