Locky Docks land at inner Auckland

Big Street Bikers’ first Auckland inner city Locky Dock is being installed at the Garage Project on New North Road, Kingsland.

Another will be placed at Commonsense Organics, Dominion Rd, Mt Eden while further Locky Docks will be established during coming months at the Wynyard Quarter, Morningside and the City Centre.

BSB says these are coming two years after its solar powered The Rechargery at the Viaduct was opened and Locky Dock sites put at Syliva Park and Lynnmall.

Locky Dock secure bike parking and e-bike charging was opened in Christchurch last year with BSB then planning a nationwide roll-out.

BSB says Locky Docks are timely in Auckland – and soon in Wellington – as bike thefts rise.

It says police figures show 2887 bikes reported stolen across the country in 2019 but that by near the end of last year this had risen to 4529 (57% up).

Bike owners should get insurance cover, record their bike’s serial number and report any theft to police, BSB suggests.

Meanwhile, BSB has also sent a submission to the Climate Change Commission in response to its draft advice report, saying little is mentioned on the role electric micromobility (e-bikes and e-scooters) can play.

“Our paper focuses on promoting mode-shift, including use of e-bike subscription models, while rolling out Smart City infrastructure. Making things a whole lot more convenient and accessible,” BSB says.

It says reliance on cars (electric or not) cannot continue as they take up far too much city space, crowding other more efficient, healthier and lower emission forms of travel like walking, cycling, micromobility and public transport modes such as buses on priority lanes and light rail.

“For the cost of one EV, 10 carbon producing cars can be replaced with 10 e-bikes for daily commutes.”

BSB also suggests e-bike subsidies and bike subscriptions.

Key submission recommendations include rezoning key urban areas as ‘cycle priority streets’ to activate behaviour change, removing regulatory barriers to enable communities to easily switch car parking to cycle parking, implementing a public cycle path wayfinding system to encourage mode shift uptake and making existing bike paths more visible to everyone.

BSB has just established an advisory board to aid the e-mobility transition, chaired by Sir Bob Harvey who even rides an e-bike while patrolling at Karekare Beach in West Auckland.