With summer on its way and bike parking often a hot commodity, the last thing you want to see is a bike rack rendered unusable from dead bikes.
Alex Goldmark over at Transportation Nation has taken it upon himself to deal with the detritus by inviting New Yorkers to submit images of abandoned bikes. After an astounding 400 submissions, he compiled some of the worst offenders.
The Department of Sanitation has some strict criteria for counting a bike as abandoned:
- is not rideable
- appears to be crushed or unusable
- parts are missing other than seat or front wheel
- bicycle has a flat or missing tires
- the handlebars or pedals are damaged, or existing forks, frames or rims are bent
- 75 percent or more of the bicycle is rusted
They’re sending them over to 311. If you spot one, add it!
(Photo: WNYC Bike Project/Flickr)
how does an aluminum (carbon and bamboo as well, ugh) frame get to be 75 percent rusted? They might as well establish a criteria that Lance Armstrong must personally inspect it. Equally likely to occur. In Madison, WI there was a paint company that would take obsolete but functional bikes, dip them in red paint, and make them available for public use. They were not supposed to be locked up, just left out for whoever wanted to ride it next. what is wrong with you people that you can't just get some red paint?