Hardcore cyclists will ride their bikes no matter what. But for us borderliners--people who have some interest in the green benefits of bicycle travel but are not fully vested--it's tough for us to drop hundreds or thousands on a bike when we know, through countless anecdotes from fellow city-dwellers, that all or part of it will be stolen within months.

The Bikestation Secure Bike Module, produced by "alternative multimodal transit system" company Mobis, is intended to win us borderliners over. "The new bike modules overcome a top concern people have that keep them from using their bikes--theft," says Andrea White-Kjoss, Mobis president and CEO.

Covina, California will be the first U.S. municipality to install the new Secure Bike Modules, starting later this year with a 10 x 25 structure that will offer 36 secure parking spaces for bikes, accessible by electronic key fobs. The modules are, as the name implies, modular, and will presumably be expanded as interest grows.

"...Environmentally sustainable programs that both serve the health and convenience of our citizens and reduce our carbon footprint...can take a long time to implement," says Daryl Parrish, Covina city manager, "[whereas] the Bikestation is a fast, cost-effective project that can benefit the people of Covina right away."

"[The Secure Bike Module] reduces the need for parking, improves people's health, and lowers emissions, and the clever, innovative design of the module fits right into the look of our downtown," adds Covina Mayor Walter Allen. "The Bikestation is good for the environment and for the people of Covina."

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via reuters