New Moto Parking

We have successfully petitioned for more motorcycle parking at work! Woot!

A month or two ago a bunch of us who ride to work sent emails and filled out the online comment form to ask if we could get more parking closer to our buildings. This summer has been a very active motorcycling season at work. Many more motos are parked in the two lots closest to our building. Each lot has six spaces. One is right in front of my building. The other is a bit farther away but not terribly so. But the farther lot is in the same lot where the CU buses park. Their spaces block access to some of these moto parking spaces like this:



I took this photo last week. That's mine on the end. Notice it isn't technically in a spot (no line on the outside). There was one spot left in the farther lot and I couldn't get into it because of the bus parked in it's spot. So, I took this photo with my camera phone and sent another email to parking services. That same day, I got a reply. The person I emailed is listed as the point of contact for new parking lots. She replied that after coming out to evaluate the spaces, they were going to add more spaces to this particular lot (on the end where I am in the photo). They also said they'd make an exception to the university rule of only creating moto parking on concrete lots and add a new lot on the existing car asphalt lot adjacent to this one (in the photo). AND they said they'd do it next week.

That was last week. Today on my way home I swung by this lot to see if they'd added the spaces. They did!!



They'd said they would angle the lines to make access easier so I'll follow up about that. And there is the curb to contend with. But, I think it is absolutely fabulous that they listened to our concerns, came out to assess it, created a solution, and acted on it so quickly. Awesome!

And here is the new lot:

Rode to work yesterday

I got a late start because I thought it might be a chilly ride in. I can do a bit of work from home so that works ok usually. But then I realized that I probably wouldn't have a place to park. The snow plows push all the snow from the parking lot into the moto spaces. Grrr.

(I try not to drool on the black GS in that photo. It is new to the parking lot.)

Anyway, I had to park allllll the way over here, all by myself. :-( Actually, it isn't that far. :-)

Motorcycle Parking pass

So, I bought a 3 month parking pass for my car since it is January and because the two snowiest months in Colorado are March and February. I thought it might be a good idea to just cough up the cash (or plastic) and not have to worry about parking off campus for the next few months. (I should be riding the bus, but whatever.) Anyway, of course, secretly my plan was to jinx the weather and have some good riding days. It worked! I rode the past two days (when temps were in the 70s) and even on the MLK holiday with hubby. (Yay!) It is supposed to snow by Friday and go back to normal temps in the 40s. So because I rode to work, I had to park on campus so I ended up buying a motorcycle parking pass earlier than planned. It expires in August. It isn't any cheaper to buy more months, the monthly price is the same. But the thing that rubs me the wrong way is now I have shelled out lots of cash (or plastic) to park two different vehicles. With the car, I have the option to buy a day pass or week pass or by the month or however many multiple months I want. With the moto it is not as varied. My options are basically three months or 6 months or the whole year. That's it. I can't ride every now and then because I can't park without a sticker. Now, if I was paying to park my car through the whole year, and they were making automatic deductions from my bank account for it, I could get a free moto parking pass. But, that doesn't help me. I don't drive often enough during moto season to feel inclined to spend the $40 per month. Especially when the moto is only $14 per month (although I think it goes up a dollar or so every July).

But, now I've got the moto pass so I can take advantage of the warm days as they come. And I should really just ride the bus on other days anyway. I'm just too lazy to do it.