See renderings of the secure bike storage facilities that may be installed around NYC
If you’re like most New Yorkers, the biggest deterrent to getting a nice bike is probably the prospects of having it get stolen.
Even though the thefts are common across the city, New Yorkers still take 600,000 bike trips every single day, which means it’s past time officials did something to protect our favorite two-wheeled mode of transit.
Last week, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced a major initiative involving the launch of 500 secure bike parking locations by next year, according to a press release by the Department of Transportation.
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On May 9, the city issued an open call to identify a company that could operate the secure bike storage network.
“With record bike ridership and an all-time high number of protected bike lanes, New York City is experiencing a booming cycling renaissance,” Rodriguez said in an official statement. “This initiative will support continued growth in cycling by addressing a key barrier to bike ownership: the lack of access to secure bike storage.”
After securing a company to do the job, the city will start operating the first storages as early as next year, hoping to finish building all 500 within the next half-a-decade.
The program will prioritize locations that are near major transit hubs while also accounting for e-bike accommodations.
The Department of Transportation is already considering several potential models, including small-capacity units installed by residential areas able to hold 10 to 12 bikes at once.
Enclosed high-capacity units, on the other hand, will be located near major transit hubs and will be able to house dozens of bikes at once, including, potentially, charging stations for e-bikes.
A third model currently being analyzed involved self-locking racks, which can be placed on sidewalks or the curb. These have the simplest design and resemble the Citi Bike racks that already exist all across the city.
Providing more secure biking storage will not only decrease bike theft and encourage New Yorkers to opt for the mode of transport, but the process could potentially fundamentally change the way people get around the city.
“Providing residents with secure bike parking is instrumental in ensuring more New Yorkers are walking, biking and using mass transit, which helps to cut our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Elijah Hutchinson, the Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director for the Mayor’s office, in an official statement. “New Yorkers require a mixture of travel options to meet their daily needs.”