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Overview
Because inner-city parking is either non-existent or requires one to trade organs on the black market to afford the hourly expense, we should take a leaf out of Japan’s bike. I mean book.
We all know that we should be cycling everywhere we go. For exercise and to save the ozone layer and for parking reasons. But the issue with using this eco-friendly form of transport, which has only become more pressing lately, is that people suck and they will steal your bike. Bikes don’t have lockable doors, or keys to start, or any form of anti-theft mechanism to keep the robbers at bay. So when one leaves their bike tied to a tree or propped in a bike stand, there is no saying whether your ride will be there upon your return. Except in Japan.
Tokyo’s underground bike storage system means there is always secure space for bikes to park. The ECO-Cycle Park is a completely automated parking building created especially for bicycle parking. The system operates eleven metres below ground level, and has the capacity to store 200 bikes.
Cyclists buy a monthly subscription to the parking building, and receive an electronic card which corresponds to the rider’s specific bike. The cyclist can then park his or her bike there at any time, by using their swipe card and to either drop their bicycle off, or pick it up at the end of the day.
Above ground the system looks like your average car park payment kiosk. Below ground it looks like where all the doors to the children’s rooms go in Monster’s Inc. It saves space on the streets, makes cyclists feel like they are part of the future, and keeps your cycle secure.
Good luck to any bike thieves wanting to try their luck in that labyrinth.