Secure Bicycle Parking in Hamilton

I think bicycling is a great thing, and think encouraging people to ride bikes more is also a great thing.

But two crucial pieces of infrastructure are usually missing – at least here in automobile mad North America – safe places to ride and safe places to park.

Bicycle theft is a huge problem, and the police response to it is usually ineffectual to say the least. If you look at charts as to how much is lost in bank robberies every year, dollar wise, versus how much is lost in bicycle thefts, dollar wise, bank robberies are petty crime by comparison. But if a crackhead passes a note at a bank and walks out with $200 – HOLY SHIT! 8 cruisers are there within minutes, detectives from the hold–up squad show up, news crews arrive, wanted posters are published, the whole bit. Some reprobate absconds with a $2000 primary mode of transportation, the police response couldn’t be more underwhelming. “Oh. Gee. What a shame. Here fill out this form and we’ll give you a call if it turns up.”

It just seems like bicycles, rather than being regarded as a perfectly viable mode of transportation, good for the health of the individual riding it, good for the environment, etc., etc. are regarded as little more than a silly kids toy. Even talking to insurance companies, they seem completely uninterested in extending things like car tracking devices to bikes to help them be found.

So I was thrilled to find out that the City of Hamilton has started to provide safe places to park your bicycle. Locked cages, that you rent a spot in for a measly $50 a year. Lit up in a garage with security cameras.

There are a few locations throughout the city, including Mohawk College, McMaster University, City Hall, Jackson Square, Horizon Utilities, and the hospitals, which are for employees, staff or students at those facilities. There are also two bike parking facilities, one at the Convention Center on Summers Lane with a capacity for 16 bicycles, and another at the parking garage between Vine, York, MacNab and James with a capacity for 43 bicycles, which are available to the general public.

Kudos to the city of Hamilton for doing this! Hopefully this initiative takes off and more secure bike parking facilities will appear around the city in years to come, not just city run, but hopefully private businesses will also begin to offer more secure places to park bicycles.

http://www.smartcommutehamilton.ca/en/bike/secureparking