Those looking for more options for bike parking at Union Station could soon have a fancy new option: a Metro bike hub. Streetsblog LA reports that Metro has OK’d the project’s new budget. If the full board approves, construction could start in March, with the hub opening in fall.
The bike hub would offer hub members secure, 24-hour bike storage in a standalone building by the Mozaic apartments and the bus bay used by Amtrak buses. It would be staffed part-time and offer bike repair services.
The hub is also seen as a way to “[reduce] the need for patrons to bring bikes onto buses & trains.”
Metro already has one of these bike huts at the El Monte Station.
The agency had originally planned for the bike hub to be built underground, but that space instead became ADA parking spots. Building the bike-friendly space in a new location took the budget from approximately $1.3 million to about $2.5 million.
The hub is one of many upgrades planned for Union Station as part of the Union Station Master Plan, which will include a makeover of the Alameda entrance area that’s more welcoming to pedestrians and people on bikes, and making room for a high-speed rail stop.