New bike racks for downtown Beverly

By John Laidler, Globe Correspondent

The city is becoming a more convenient place to bicycle. Beverly is installing 60 new bike racks in the downtown to provide secure places for people to park their bikes. The new racks were purchased through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's Regional Bike Parking Program.

Under that initiative, the planning agency provides full reimbursement to communities for the cost of purchasing bike racks. MAPC provided Beverly with $7,470 to pay for the 60 bike racks. The city's only cost was $335 for shipping.

The installation, which was nearing completion last week, is being carried out by employees of the Public Services and Police departments during their regular shifts. The new racks are being installed on meter posts along Cabot and Rantoul streets and throughout the downtown's side streets, according to the city's associate planner, Kate Newhall.

Beverly participated in the first round of this MAPC grant program back in 2008, when the city installed several racks at playgrounds and at its two public libraries.

"When Beverly had the opportunity to participate for a second time in the Bike Parking Program, we wanted to focus on the downtown and bring visitors to the area through alternate modes of transportation. These racks blend with the streetscape and provide a much needed asset in our downtown," Mayor William F. Scanlon Jr. said in a statement.