Riders in Santa Monica will be able to valet park, repair, and rent bicycles in the newest, largest secure parking facility of its kind in the nation on Monday.
The $2-million Santa Monica Bike Center located at 4th Street and Broadway features nearly 5,300 square-feet of space and nearly 360 secure bicycle parking spaces spread over two ground floor locations in the Santa Monica Place Mall parking structure, according to Metro.
The facility also includes rentals, attended bike valet, showers, lockers, self-service repairs, vending machines and restrooms.
The project, which is part of Santa Monica's Bike Action Plan, aims to increase bicycle use in the city from 3.4 percent to 14-35 percent of trips, Metro said.
"Santa Monica is rapidly transforming itself into a world-class city for bicycling," said Richard Bloom, Mayor of the City of Santa Monica in a statement. "This new bike center, built from scratch into a major development site will provide commuters and recreational riders with all the amenities they need to better access downtown Santa Monica car-free."
The Bike Center, which officially opened Friday, is near stops for several bus lines and is only a block away from the future Expo Line light rail terminus scheduled to arrive in Santa Monica in 2015.
The project was funded by Metro, which provided $1.5 million through its 2007 Call for Projects grant program.
Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called the Bike Center a key link in connecting transit hubs around the city.
"It is exactly the type of project our region needs to help make L.A. a more bike-friendly community," Villaraigosa said.
For more information on the Santa Monica Bike Center services and programs, visit www.bikesantamonica.org.
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