New Ottawa bike lockers protect cyclists from theft: Here’s what you need to know

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Justin Tapuc is part of the growing crowd now making a two-wheel commute into downtown Ottawa.

He considers himself luckier than most.

Tapuc is one of the few to have already discovered the city’s new secure bike storage locker on the corner of Slater and Bank streets, giving him peace of mind that his e-bike will be safe from being stolen during the work day.

Where can you lock a bike in downtown Ottawa?

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“The reason I’m using this thing is because I actually got my scooter stolen,” said Tapuc, who makes the daily trek from Gatineau to do tech repair work for the federal government.

“It’s pretty good. I guess the whole purpose of the locker is that it’s selling you security. In this particular case, it works pretty well.”

There are currently three enclosed storage lockers in the city, each containing room for six bikes. In addition to the spot at 250 Slater, there’s a facility inside the covered city of Ottawa parking garages at 141 Clarence St. in the Byward Market and another at 170 Second Ave., just west of Bank Street, in the Glebe.

The lockers have been in place for a while but became operational on Sept. 4.

Note to city staff. If you didn’t know the Slater bike locker was already there, it would be hard to find. It’s well hidden under trees at the edge of an outdoor parking lot.

On a recent morning at 9 a.m., a dozen other bikes were secured to posts along Slater between Bank and Kent.

A cyclist locking up his bike in front of the Jean Edmonds towers says he had “no idea” when told about the bike locker 50 metres east.

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“I will think about that.”

Do you need a special app to use the lockers?

Yes. Users gain access to the units by downloading the Velo-Transpo app on their smartphones. The first two hours are free and it’s 50 cents for any additional hour.

Tapuc says his computer science background has helped him navigate through the “confusing” app.

“It’s not the best, but they’ve said they’re going to update it, so that’s good.”

Why is the city going down this road?

At first blush, it seems like a logical step.

With more federal workers returning to the office due to the three-day-per-week mandate, there has been a noticeable increase in both vehicle and cycling traffic to the downtown core.

It’s also in keeping with the city’s grand plan to encourage more “active” modes of movement, including walking.

The Transportation Trends Report, a master plan detailing Ottawa’s commuting habits, was released in May. That study, based on numbers collected in the fall of 2022, showed that 3.9 per cent of all commuters were using bikes, e-bikes or scooters That’s a jump from 1.9 per cent in 2011. In 2005, two-wheel traffic accounted for only 1.4 per cent of commuter traffic.

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The city’s comprehensive Origin-Destination study also shows there was a 15 per cent increase in downtown cycling traffic from 2022 to 2023. That area is bounded by the Rideau River to the east, O-Train Line 2 to the west, Ottawa River to the north and Highway 417 to the south.

In 2023, approximately 200,000 cyclists used the protected biking lanes along Laurier Avenue and roughly 155,000 used the protected lanes along O’Connor Street.

“Bike counter data has demonstrated significant growth in bike trips over the last decade,” said Kalle Hakala, program manager of active transportation planning. “The city has made significant investments in cycling infrastructure in the past decade and (is) pleased to continue attracting new riders.”

Hakala says it’s too early to determine any trends from the new back-to-office rules instituted by the federal government, which require many federal public servants to work onsite at least three days a week.

The biking info is interesting, but what else did the study show?

While the percentage of commuters using vehicles was largely unchanged between 2011-2022, commuting via OC Transpo dropped to 8.5 per cent from 14.2 per cent.

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The varied and sundry problems of OC Transpo, including the snafu launch and operation of the O-Line since 2019, has been well-documented.

What’s important to keep in mind while digesting the numbers from the Transportation Trends Report is that Ottawa was still coming out of COVID-19 shutdowns when the 2022 data was collected.

In March, 2023, the federal government first initiated the order that public service workers were required to be in the office at least two days per week.

So, why ride a bike instead of riding the bus?

Like many others, Tapuc says it boils down to a decision about time and money.

Taking his own e-bike saves him “about 10-15 minutes” from his home in Gatineau.

“I’m also trying to do a little experiment,” he said. “I bought (the e-bike) in June. I want to try and use it as much as possible throughout the year. Partially because I just think it’s fun, but I also want to see how feasible this kind of thing is in our city. I cross the provincial border and I’m curious to see, with the snow or the rain or whatever, how much of a solution it really is.”

What about taking a car?

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Tapuc owns a car, but says that’s a non-starter due to the cost. In addition to parking fees — typically between $20 and $25 in the downtown core — there are gasoline and maintenance costs.

“There are the actual fees of using the car in general, if it breaks down or has problems,” he said.

In a perfect world, he says the city should invest in more secure bike lockers throughout the city.

“There are three of them, but they’re kind of spread out,” he said, checking out the Byward Market and Glebe locations on his phone.

“For instance, there isn’t one in Westboro, if I end up working there.”

Tapuc could get his wish for more lockers. Eventually.

Will the lockers stick around?

The city says the existing structures will remain in place throughout the year. The city will continue to promote the presence of the lockers on social media and is working with “stakeholders” to create more interest.

“The use of these lockers will be monitored, and additional locations will be considered going forward with the goal of removing barriers to cycling,” said Scott Caldwell, the city’s manager of parking services.

kwarren@postmedia.com
X: Citizenkwarren

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