Legitimate parking

What Japan, and Tokyo in particular, really needs is legitimate on-road parking space for bikes. All we need to do is knock out a few on-road car parking spots here and there, and install bike racks. You could fit at least six bikes in the space of one car. How is that for efficient use of space!

Here is one fabulous design that carries a positive message as well as being practical - although I would face the other way, so that cyclists didn't need to walk out into traffic to get their bikes, and so that cars do not knock over the bikes on the rack.

There is a fair bit of parking for bicycles in Japan around stations. However, this only caters for the regular bicycle commuter who rides his/her bike to the train station, and leaves it there. There is currently no reasonable options for anyone who (1) commutes irregularly, (2) commutes directly to the office (as there is generally no -zero- legitimate bicycle parking in downtown areas), or (3) wants to go anywhere else other than the station. Shopping malls and department stores, libraries are constantly faced with zillions of bicycles all over the footpath. Instead of tagging and impounding the bicycles, why not simply create legitimate on-street parking space? Removing a few car parking spots would seem to be a small price to pay for something that benefits all pedestrians and cyclists. Even drivers become pedestrians at their destination, so in this sense it helps the drivers too.

http://www.inoutdesigners.ch/pages/projects/config_01/vd_003.html