bike locks around town - fyi
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:00 am
City to put lock on bike theft
Officials consider ways of fixing 'vulnerable' bicycle stands
'Significant cost' to deter culprits wielding two-by-fours
Aug. 16, 2006. 06:17 AM
BETSY POWELL
CRIME REPORTER
The city is looking at modifying its 16,000 bicycle post-and-ring stands after officials conducted a series of tests and confirmed the popular lock-ups are "vulnerable" to thieves wielding two-by-fours.
City officials have been testing the stands to see how easily they could be broken after several reports of thieves "attacking them with two-by-fours" and riding off with the bikes.
"It's not a small problem, it's something we're taking very, very seriously," Daniel Egan, city manager of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, said yesterday. "It's not going to be a couple hundred dollars, it's going to be a significant cost to do this."
The tests were being done out of public view. "We're not out on the street with two-by-fours testing, we're testing them in our yard," said Egan.
He didn't want to go into details so as not to release information that could be exploited by copycat thieves.
But the city is now looking at various options on how "to strengthen or modify the ring to prevent it from being open" and has already come up with some options. "It's a question of what's the most cost-effective, what's the quickest thing we can implement."
Egan added cyclists using the existing post-and-ring stands can still take precautions to thwart thieves, such as using two locks, a cable or chain lock, along with a U-lock, to lock the wheel and frame together, so even if the ring is damaged the bike can't be stolen.
Sean Wheldrake of the city cycling unit demonstrated the procedure for proper locking on one of the many post-and-ring stands behind city hall.
But Egan stressed the much bigger problem is bike thefts being committed by people breaking locks. So far, the city has confirmed eight cases of the rings being damaged by thieves, who steal an estimated 7,000 bikes in Toronto each year. City officials are also looking at six other reported cases.
Members of the public are being urged to contact the city's cycling unit at 416-392-9253 or bikeplan@toronto.ca if they believe a bike theft resulted from a broken post-and-ring stand.
The now ubiquitous stands have been on Toronto streets for 20 years, served the city well, and been copied around the world, Egan noted.
David Dennis, one of the co-designers of the aluminum post-and-ring stands, said it's unfortunate that thieves have found that the castings "tend to be brittle and that's what somebody's figured out with a two-by-four."
He's still immensely proud of the design. "We've had a good run, the bike ring is unmodified in 20 years." And over time, it's the nature of technology and inventions that "they end up having flaws. I guess the best thing would be to make it out of a stronger material ... that's less susceptible to breakage." He noted that, "Costs go up when you change your material."
Dennis, an architect who works in urban and industrial design, says the city could alter the design and casting to help deter "the vermin who steal bikes."
It costs about $200 to manufacture and install one stand.
Councillor Adam Giambrone, vice-chairman of the works committee, said it's essential the city promote cycling since Toronto will grow by 1 million people in the next 30 years.
"The only way we're going to be able to deal with that population on the roads ... is by getting people walking, using TTC and cycling. So it's of great interest to ensure that cycling is perceived as being a safe way (to travel) and the bike that you paid a lot of money for is safe when you lock up across the city."
Officials consider ways of fixing 'vulnerable' bicycle stands
'Significant cost' to deter culprits wielding two-by-fours
Aug. 16, 2006. 06:17 AM
BETSY POWELL
CRIME REPORTER
The city is looking at modifying its 16,000 bicycle post-and-ring stands after officials conducted a series of tests and confirmed the popular lock-ups are "vulnerable" to thieves wielding two-by-fours.
City officials have been testing the stands to see how easily they could be broken after several reports of thieves "attacking them with two-by-fours" and riding off with the bikes.
"It's not a small problem, it's something we're taking very, very seriously," Daniel Egan, city manager of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, said yesterday. "It's not going to be a couple hundred dollars, it's going to be a significant cost to do this."
The tests were being done out of public view. "We're not out on the street with two-by-fours testing, we're testing them in our yard," said Egan.
He didn't want to go into details so as not to release information that could be exploited by copycat thieves.
But the city is now looking at various options on how "to strengthen or modify the ring to prevent it from being open" and has already come up with some options. "It's a question of what's the most cost-effective, what's the quickest thing we can implement."
Egan added cyclists using the existing post-and-ring stands can still take precautions to thwart thieves, such as using two locks, a cable or chain lock, along with a U-lock, to lock the wheel and frame together, so even if the ring is damaged the bike can't be stolen.
Sean Wheldrake of the city cycling unit demonstrated the procedure for proper locking on one of the many post-and-ring stands behind city hall.
But Egan stressed the much bigger problem is bike thefts being committed by people breaking locks. So far, the city has confirmed eight cases of the rings being damaged by thieves, who steal an estimated 7,000 bikes in Toronto each year. City officials are also looking at six other reported cases.
Members of the public are being urged to contact the city's cycling unit at 416-392-9253 or bikeplan@toronto.ca if they believe a bike theft resulted from a broken post-and-ring stand.
The now ubiquitous stands have been on Toronto streets for 20 years, served the city well, and been copied around the world, Egan noted.
David Dennis, one of the co-designers of the aluminum post-and-ring stands, said it's unfortunate that thieves have found that the castings "tend to be brittle and that's what somebody's figured out with a two-by-four."
He's still immensely proud of the design. "We've had a good run, the bike ring is unmodified in 20 years." And over time, it's the nature of technology and inventions that "they end up having flaws. I guess the best thing would be to make it out of a stronger material ... that's less susceptible to breakage." He noted that, "Costs go up when you change your material."
Dennis, an architect who works in urban and industrial design, says the city could alter the design and casting to help deter "the vermin who steal bikes."
It costs about $200 to manufacture and install one stand.
Councillor Adam Giambrone, vice-chairman of the works committee, said it's essential the city promote cycling since Toronto will grow by 1 million people in the next 30 years.
"The only way we're going to be able to deal with that population on the roads ... is by getting people walking, using TTC and cycling. So it's of great interest to ensure that cycling is perceived as being a safe way (to travel) and the bike that you paid a lot of money for is safe when you lock up across the city."
