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NINE.. Cycle parking
Cycle theft
The lack of cycle parking results in theft, inconvenience for cyclists, and obstructions for those walking. This could be reversed by 2020 to make Cambridge a safe haven for bicycles
Cycle theft is a very real problem in Cambridge and good quality cycle parking can go a long way towards deterring the thieves. By not increasing cycle parking provision city councillors are allowing cycle theft to remain at its current high level. The 6,693 cycle thefts recorded between 2001 and 2004 made up 13.5% of all crime in the city during that period so it is clearly a serious issue and needs real solutions.
To take an example, the City Council’s East Area Committee found in August 2007 that the 54 reported cycle thefts in the Petersfield area during the previous two months made up 27 per cent of all the crime in the ward. This is hardly surprising given the almost total absence of any cycle parking facilities in the ward. Compare this with the massive numbers of car parking spaces which are assumed as a right for local residents, and the problem becomes clear.
With a lack of decent cycle parking facilities we often see people locking their bicycles to everything from railings and drainpipes to lampposts and bus stops as well as lining the walls of houses along terraced residential streets. This is inconvenient, and sometimes hazardous, for pedestrians, obstructing their route with obstacles.
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