BikeSmart - Bicycle Art Rack Project

Now Accepting Applications

ANNOUNCEMENT: Applications now being accepted for the Live Well Sioux Falls Bike Rack Cost Share Program.

BikeSmart Artistic Bike Rack Matching Funds Grant Application. 

BikeSmart - Artistic Bicycle Rack Parking Opportunities in Sioux Falls, SD

Sioux Falls South Dakota – A Bicycle Friendly Community

The City of Sioux Falls was recently named a 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Sioux Falls received a bronze level distinction and achieved the recognition on its first application for the award. The city is one of 15 new Bicycle Friendly Communities to receive the honor.

Sioux Falls is seeing record interest in bicycling. Between 1998 and 2009, the number of daily trail users doubled, and the city is now seeing 7,000 people a day use the trail for bicycling, running, or other recreation. Numbers are higher on weekdays than on weekends, showing that people are using the trail to commute to work. In addition, the number of bicycles being transported on City buses has doubled in the last three years. So far in 2010, more than 5,700 bicycles have been transported on buses.

Call for Art - Artistic Bicycle Racks

Seeing the rapid growth of bicycling, and the need for safe and secure bicycle parking in Sioux Falls, the Visual Arts Commission desired to incorporate visual art with bicycle parking opportunities within the community. The Sioux Falls Visual Arts Commission invited professional and amateur South Dakota resident artists of all backgrounds to participate in two calls for art:

1. an artist-designed free-form bicycle rack; and
2. an artist-designed standard form bicycle rack for abandoned parking meters.

The primary goals of this visual art project were to promote energy conservation by encouraging citizens and visitors to safely bike within our community and to provide public usable art for aesthetically functional bicycle parking. Applicants were strongly encouraged to support the City’s Leading Green initiative by utilizing an art rack design that incorporates recycled materials.

The intent was for selected artistic bicycle rack designs to become part of a City-approved comprehensive list or "catalog" designated for public and private entities to consider when addressing bicycle parking on their properties.

Although the Commission’s call for art mentioned there is no public funding for this project, and there is no guarantee that a selected artistic bicycle rack design will be purchased or placed for bicycle parking by the City of Sioux Falls or a private citizen, there were 68 design submittals from 20 artists that responded to this particular call for art. The submittals were juried and six (6) artists with 12 designs were recommended to the City Council for their consideration. The artistic bicycle racks will:

• blend in aesthetically with downtown streetscapes, civic building surroundings, and other community areas;
• meet all applicable City standards and codes.
• adhere to all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for protrusions in the right-of-way, including the ability to detect the rack with a white cane

Selected Artists and Designs

On July 20, 2009, the Sioux Falls City Council adopted Resolution #70-09, that recognizes six (6) artists and their 12 artistic bicycle rack designs be included as an acceptable comprehensive City inventory list cataloged designated for public and private entities to consider in addressing bicycle parking on their properties.

The selected artists and their artworks include:

A complete description of the artist’s selected designs, materials, associated costs, and contact information are available on this website page.

Considerations to Sponsor or Obtain an Artistic Bicycle Rack

1. Determine if the artistic bicycle rack will be located on private or public property. Contact the Visual Arts Commission Liaison at (605) 367-8888. A property address must be provided.
   
   
2. Review the city’s "catalog" brochure and select an artistic bicycle rack design.
   
   Artistic Bicycle Rack Locations
   
   • On Private Property - If a private citizen or business would like to sponsor and place an artistic bicycle rack on their own private property, then no further action would be required by the city. The placement of the artistic bicycle rack would be between the property owner and the artist. Artist contact information is available by contacting the Visual Arts Commission Liaison.
   • On Public Property - If a private citizen or business would like to sponsor and place an artistic bicycle rack on public grounds (ie: city building, abandoned parking meter, river greenway, city park, or within street / ally right-of-way), then a Visual Arts Commission Public Art Presentation Application Form must be completed, along with a site plan, and be submitted to the Visual Arts Commission Liaison. A copy of the application form can be obtained from the link on the right side of this page, or by contacting the Visual Arts Commission Liaison.
     
     Visual Arts Commission
     c/o City Planning
     224 West Ninth Street
     P.O. Box 7402
     Sioux Falls, SD 57117-7402
     
     (605) 367-8888
     
     Various city review agencies, including Public Works, Parks & Recreation, ADA Accessibility Review Board, and the Visual Arts Commission, will need to make further recommendation(s) on the specific location to the City Council. The City Council will then consider the location recommendation at a public meeting. If accepted, the City Council will then adopt a resolution. Upon the effective date of the resolution (approximately 20 days after publication of the resolution) fabrication and installation can be done.
     
     
3. In all cases, it is the responsibility of the artist and sponsor to notify the Visual Arts Commission Liaison prior to work commencing. It is expected that the artist, sponsor Commission’s Liaison will work together on the installation of the artistic bicycle rack in a safe manner that meets all City standards and codes.

Questions can be directed to the Visual Arts Commission Liaison.

Visual Arts Commission
c/o City Planning
224 West Ninth Street
P.O. Box 7402
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-7402

(605) 367-8888