New custom bike racks will be popping up across Downtown Laramie this fall.
In response to complaints about parked bicycles cluttering up the sidewalks – chained to trees, garbage cans, and sign posts – the Laramie Main Street Alliance began polling residents and business owners, and collecting data about bike traffic.
Executive Director Trey Sherwood says this October, the Alliance will install colorful new bike racks in the high-traffic areas of downtown.
“The sidewalks are only so wide, and so you get a family who’s coming down with a stroller and you have a bike sticking out into their way. We want to make sure that, as people are shopping or window shopping or going about their business, that it’s a pleasant experience, and they’re not having to, like, hump over bikes that are piled up on each other,” Sherwood says.
Funding for the project came from the Wyoming Arts Council and Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, as well as donations from Laramie business owners.
A local artist has designed the bike racks to depict Laramie scenes, including pronghorns and trains.