Free, monitored bike parking is the latest initiative aimed at drawing more Edmontonians downtown.
New valet bike parking at the corner of 103rd Street and 102nd Avenue opened on Friday as part of a pilot project that will run throughout August and at least part of September.
Bike Edmonton volunteers are on hand to make sure bicycles are tagged and locked securely in a cage while their owners are out and about downtown. The service will be available Thursday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The program is funded by the city's Meet Me Downtown grant, which aims to increase the number of people visiting downtown.
Work to bring people back to the core has been ongoing since the majority of pandemic-related restrictions lifted in 2022, and mandatory work-from-home orders ended. The return of many daytime office workers hasn't eased the increased crime and social disorder issues downtown, and businesses continue to raise concerns about break-ins, vandalism and property damage.
Bike Edmonton executive director Greg Glatz said some people are hesitant to cycle downtown because they're worried about their bike getting stolen, and the group wants to ease people's minds.
"The best way to do safety in the downtown area is to have people on the street," he said.
"We've got our staff here, we're encouraging people to bring their bikes here, so that's more people on the street. That encourages people to shop and to eat downtown — that's more people on the street."
Edmonton police have upped patrols in central neighbourhoods this year, and additional Alberta sheriffs were also deployed in inner-city neighbourhoods.
The Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) currently funds a program that sees security guards and outreach workers patrol overnight, trying to help vulnerable people on the streets while also monitoring safety and security around local businesses.
Glatz said the bike valet service is a simple way to make it easier to come downtown — without the worry of paying to park your car.
"Even when we opened [Thursday] night just to set up the equipment, we had somebody come by, leave their bike with us and went out to a restaurant to eat," he said.
Valet bike parking service latest bid to draw more people to downtown Edmonton - CBC.ca
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