Snow is on the ground and there’s a chill in the air, but despite the inclement weather, members of the Elmhurst Bicycle Task Force and others interested in promoting cycling, are continuing to work on the goal of making the city more bicycle-friendly.

The city’s planning and zoning committee decided this week that Elmhurst should encourage businesses in the downtown district to install bike racks.

When a new business comes to the district, or a building is re-developed, “it should be on someone’s radar to say, “Is bike parking appropriate here?’” said Bob Hoel, chairman of the bike task force.

Instead of an ordinance requiring bike racks at businesses, the committee decided to add information about working bike racks into its development guidelines and other materials it provides to developers.

The task force had asked the committee to consider a bike parking ordinance, but had not specified what such an ordinance would say, Hoel said.

He said currently there are bike racks at just a few businesses in the downtown district including Jewel, Walgreens and Elmhurst City Hall.

Another bike initiative is being led by Elmhurst City Centre, a merchants association in downtown Elmhurst.

Hoel said City Centre is working on a plan to add more bike racks to public property in the business district.

“They asked us (the bike task force) to identify locations that would be good for bike racks,” Hoel said.

City Centre would pay for the racks and the city would install them, Hoel said, adding that the task force has identified between 20 and 25 sites that would be good locations for racks.

Those racks may be installed in the spring.

Still another new plan is to add ten bike storage boxes at the Metra Train Station. The boxes would store 10 bikes and would be rented by users who would be able to lock them.

“The boxes are for people who want to protect their bikes from the elements and from theft,” Hoel said.

He said the task force and city are working on details of how the boxes would be leased, and what it would cost the user. The bike storage boxes will be available in the spring, he said.

Another new bike facility is in the Vallette-York Street area. U.S. Bank, the York-Vallette Business Association, and the city have installed two bike racks at the bank, 536 S. York St.

The bank poured the concrete slab, the business association paid for the racks and the city installed them.

“It was a very positive arrangement,” Hoel said.