Getting Bike Valet on the Ticket

Ideally, a bike parking strategy is a required element of traffic management planning and design for any high density area – event centers to shopping districts and transit hubs. Events with more than 1500 expected attendees and those with very little car and bike parking should be required to offer secure bike parking such as a bike valet service. To promote their use, municipalities should support the creation of temporary protected cycling routes for events in circumstances where their AAA cycling network does not reach to event sites.

These ‘push factors’ aren’t always in place, however, so valet operators should cultivate a diverse array of local stakeholders who will benefit when people travel by bike. 

To get the word out about events with valet service, operators should first make sure that the availability of bike valet is listed among the ‘Getting There’ details on an event’s website, as well as in whatever email marketing will be sent out to ticket holders or registered attendees.

Similarly, wayfinding to bike valet service locations should be integrated into event plans and signage, as well as the surrounding community’s cycle network wayfinding. (See the wayfinding section for more on this)

Secondly, event and fixed-location valet services should always post prominent signs around their enclosures, listing all upcoming dates and locations where bike valet service will be available.

Thirdly, bike valet operators should contact local bike shops and cycle tourism operators, prominent pro-bike personalities, and even event headliners themselves -to broadcast the availability of bike valet on their social media channels. Local radio stations, event listing print papers, and corresponding websites are common media promotion partners for events, and with a readymade write-up describing the location and operating hours to share with them, operators can make them advocacy partners!

Finally, bike valet operators should work with local cycling organizations to create events and promotions around the bike valet. Valet locations can anchor the start and finish of a group ride, host local shops’ mechanics to offer simple bike maintenance for a fee or donation and Go By Bike Week celebrations can also happen at valets. There are many more possible creative uses of a valet service location, when its operators and stakeholders greet it like a hub of active travel promotion!