Baltimore's Parking Problem

Last night I was riding my bicycle around the city, happily lowering my carbon footprint, when a thought struck me: "Would it kill this city to put in some bike racks?"

I was in Fells Point, which is an ideal place to bike to instead of driving (it's not too far away, there is never any parking for cars, you can walk around from place to place easily) and there was nothing to which I would secure my bicycle. Finally, I decided to go with the street lamp. If you've ever chained up a bike, you know that it can be difficult to wrap a chain around something with a 10" diameter and still get both your wheels and frame in the loop.

When I rode up to Mount Vernon (to Brewer's Art) the same thing happened...nothing to park my bike against. It's not that I'm saying there's nothing convenient and nearby, but that there's nothing at all! If it was inconvenient, then I'd still chain up against railings and street lamps, but at least it'd be my choice!

Anyway, given the traffic and (car) parking situation in much of this city, why wouldn't they encourage people to ride bikes? Could it have anything to do with all the city-owned pay-by-the-hour parking garages? I'm not sure, but I think that if they're serious about promoting Baltimore for everyone (not just the people that can afford cars and pay-by-the-hour parking), serious about helping the environment, and serious contributing to the quality of life in their neighborhoods then increased bicycle ridership is only going to help. Not everyone is going to hunt around for somewhere to lock up their bike safely if they do manage to survive Baltimore traffic. I mean, I know that I'm dreaming if I ever hope to see bike lanes on major streets here, but a few well-placed bike racks could really improve the city's image compared to other local metropolitan centers.