‘More than one bike stolen a day’: Leeds fights back against bike theft
Cycle storage pods are set to be installed in Leeds city centre after more than 1,300 bikes were stolen in three years.
The local authority said hangars with secure locking systems would be fitted at ten locations under the £130,000 scheme.
Leeds City Council said thefts and a lack of storage were a deterrent to cycling into the city and valuable e-bikes were frequently being stolen.
It said: “Over the past three years 1,326 bikes were stolen in the city centre, averaging more than one a day.”
The report said a University of Leeds study found 63 per cent of e-bike owners in Leeds were worried about bike theft, more than the English average of 59 per cent.
It said: “Therefore, it is highly likely that the lack of secure cycle parking in the city centre is reducing the levels of cycling to the centre of Leeds.”
A trial scheme will see the hangars installed at locations including Kirkgate Market, the bus station and art gallery.
The short-stay storage would use bluetooth and phone app-controlled locking systems and cyclists would be charged a small fee, the report said.
The network of hangars would be available 24 hours a day and be able to store a total of 56 bikes at a time.
It said: “If, as is likely, the hangers are used for short-stay parking, the network of hangers will support significantly more than 56 cycle trips per day.”
A cycle storage facility set to open at Leeds Station next year was not expected to satisfy demand.
The report said: “Should the trial succeed, there is scope to expand this network of hangers.”
Funding for the project would come from Leeds City Region and contributions from developers given planning permission to build in the city.