The other day I was at the Main Street Ferry Terminal looking at all those metal boxes and wondering how could I get to use one to store my bike while I’m in SF? Maybe I’m blind but the only sign I could see was telling me the bike lockers were brought to us by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. I Googled them, but could only find out how I, as a municipality or organization, might be able to secure several. So I reached out to a fellow bike rider and BWA member—John Knox White—who went through the same thing: how do I get access to those bike lockers? Fortunately, a friend had told him, so now I’m telling you (or the few of you who don’t already know…)
It’s actually easy. Go to https://www.bikelink.org/. You’ll follow the instructions on giving them a credit card. They will charge $20.00 on your card and mail you a BikeLink card, which you use like a Clipper card only for the lockers. It might take you a while to use up your $20.00. The charge for using the lockers at the Ferry Terminal and most other places is $0.05/hour—yup, 5 cents an hour. The website also says you can purchase a card at Alameda Bicycle, 1522 Park St.; Stone’s Cyclery, 2320 Santa Clara Ave. (just off Park St.); and eLocker, Civic Center Garage, 1442 Oak St. I can’t guarantee they have them, so you might want to call in advance or visit the Garage.
Here are the locker locations in Alameda today. Hopefully, more will be coming.
Civic Center Garage
Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal
Main Street Ferry Terminal
Webster & Atlantic
Alameda Landing: 5th Street
Alameda Landing: Habit Burger
Alameda Landing: Safeway
Alameda Landing: Shirasoni
Alameda Landing: Spring
Check out the website for locations off the island. There are several.
John loves the lockers because when he commutes by bike to Fruitvale BART and knows he won’t be home until later in the evening, he can just put his bike in a locker with his gear rather than turn it over to valet parking, which closes at 8 p.m. I like it because now I don’t have to worry about my bike getting stolen or damaged while sitting out on the sidewalk, and I have a place to store my gear while I’m not riding my bike. Plus the lockers are covered, so my bike doesn’t get wet in the rain.
If you don’t already have one, sign up for a card today! There will be a time you’ll be glad you have it!