It can be hard to find a parking space on West 25th Street on busy days at the West Side Market. Many people simply use their bikes instead of driving their cars. Now a new project has created additional bike parking within the district.  

The “bike box” is a bike parking corral fashioned out of an old shipping container. One of the leaders of this innovative project was serial restaurateur Sam McNulty, a cyclist whose newest bar, Nano Brew, celebrates Cleveland’s growing two-wheeled population with a full-service bike station inside of the bar.

The bright blue box, which is open and airy with a stylish wood floor, is located at Bridge Ave. and West 25th and contains parking spaces for a couple dozen bikes. 

The bike box project was a collaborative effort with support from LAND Studio, Rustbelt Welding, Charter One, Bike Cleveland and the Cleveland Metroparks.

“As an avid year-round cyclist, it seemed like a fun thing to do,” explains McNulty, who uses a scooter when he’s not biking. “Plus, since I’m car-free on purpose and more folks are doing the same, it was a practical consideration as well.”

The idea for the bike box came to McNulty while enjoying a local craft beer. He saw a growing number of bikes in the area that correlated with the rise of restaurants and brewpubs. “So a bike corral became the solution.”

The bike box occupies one on-street parking space along Bridge Avenue. For the price of giving up one parking space, 30 cyclists are able to find covered parking.