Calling ALDI

On 24 March 2016, ALDI has opend the first 8 stores in Southern California (LA Times link). From the point of view of the bicycle advocate, this is a great opportunity. Many are keen on what is on the shelves at ALDI, be it sweet or sour, fat or fresh, organic or gluten-free. But those of us who would like to see more people using a bicycle for their everyday shopping trips, we should also have a good look at their parking lot.

What will these new ALDI parking lots do for cyclists?  Do they effectively support those who want to move around town without a car? Does this parking lot offer bicycle parking that supports the whole bike, not only the front wheel? Is it in compliance with the bike parking standards set by the APBP? Do they have bike parking that can accomodate a load carrying bicycle? One with a child's seat? What about shade? How safe and convenient is the access route for those who come without a car? Do they need to cross a lane of traffic before reaching the entrance? How safe is the surrounding infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians? Do they offer bicycle parking for their staff? Is there a conflict between shopping carts and bicycles? Can this new supermarket tempt more people to go shopping without a car?

It would be really great if a national grocery chain would finally get all this right, because those who go shopping on two wheels have been disappointed too often.

These are the questions we raised in an email to Rosemary Lapka, Corporate Responsibility Manager at ALDI USA. (link pdf)

That looks like a pretty reasonable invitation to a conversation to me. We are waiting for an answer and will post it here.