/Why would you need a covered bike rack?
Because it rains while you’re not on your bike. It snows, etc. Now, if you are a frequent bike commuter, you probably have at least a plastic bag to go over your seat while you’re gone, but it’s nice to have the whole bike covered.
I live in a university town that not only is partial to bikes, but frequently hosts a leg of a major bike tour in my state. However, no way on God’s green earth would these Midwesterners countenance spending that much money on a just bike shelter.
For $12.8 million we got a new facility with parking, bike lockers, showers, a bus interchange, wi-fi, and electric charging stations. Worth the money, I think.
I’m from DC. I know how expensive things can get in the metro area and the likelihood of ‘overruns’ (usually into someone’s pocket). I’m not surprised they couldn’t even build bike shelters without it turning into a financial disaster.
Biking rain covers : )
https://tinyurl.com/t4949da