ARtful BIke Rack Installation (2014-2015)

The Artful Bike Rack Program is a project of the James River Council for the Arts and Humanities. It was created to contribute to the attractiveness of the downtown Lynchburg Arts & Culture District and provide functional bicycle parking serving people visiting retail areas of downtown.

“Options that encourage biking and walking promote healthy transportation choices and compliment city and private investment in trails, bike lanes and downtown revitalization” said project chair Kim Soerensen, a JRCAH board member and owner of Omniterrum.com. “They help ensure that Lynchburg is a place where people ‘live, work and play’.

“We hope these four Artful Bike Racks are only the beginning, and that we can create additional pieces throughout the city that are designed in this area and funded by corporations, public agencies and individuals working together,” said Soerensen. “They will demonstrate civic and corporate pride, visual symbols of our modern and economically stable community. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see some Artful Bike Racks in Rivermont, Memorial Avenue, Wards Road and other neighborhoods, along the bike trails and in front of local businesses?”

The purpose of the project is to:

Provide interesting and colorful public art while encouraging exercise
Increase access to downtown merchants and services
Liberate parking spaces for use by additional citizens or visitors

Timeline of Events:

The JRCAH announced a design competition in the fall of 2014, and more than thirty applicants submitted designs. A selection committee chose four designs by Matt Perkins, Phillip Gabathuler and Davey Hazelgrove, all of Lynchburg, and Roanoke resident John Wilson.

Their designs are now being fabricated into new racks set for installation in time for September’s “Get Downtown” festival. Locations will be next to City Hall, the Bank of the James building on Main Street, Community Market on 12th Street and SpeakerTree Records on 5th Street.

On Thursday, September 24, 2015, the official ribbon cutting ceremony was held at City Hall with members of City Government, JRCAH Board Members, Ride Share Solutions, and the public in attendance.