Illegally-parked bikes at train stations cut by 80% in 30 years
駅前の放置自転車、減った? 駐輪場30年で6倍に
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXDZO58570890W3A810C1W14001/
According to the Cabinet Office, annual surveys of illegally-parked bicycles at train stations peaked at about 990,000 in 1981 but have since dropped to one-fifth of those levels (approx. 180,000) in 2011. Surveys by the Tōkyō National Government recorded about 35,000 illegally-parked bicycles, over 80% less than peak historical data.
Illegally parked bikes became a social problem starting in the 1970s thanks to their convenience and low maintenance. Their rapid uptake had implications for traffic safety as well as aesthetics, with legislation related to construction of bike parking facilities enacted in 1980 and amended in 1994. According to the Cabinet Office, there were approx. 3.5 million bike parking spaces available outside train stations in 2011 (excluding under-construction facilities), about 6 times the number in 1977. Bustling neighborhoods have been especially successful in building bike parking thanks to new ordinances that required private sector retail developments to provide for parking, but many local governments are still having difficulty covering the O&M costs of parking facilities, using tax revenues to cover the losses.
Ōsaka City, in particular, has reduced illegally-parked bicycles by about 75% from 2007 levels in only six years, in an effort to overcome its reputation as one of the worst cities for illegally-parked bicycles and crime. Land prices in the central cores of cities make constructing new bike parking difficult, but Ōsaka’s success was dependent on assistance from the private sector. The city used two schemes—one where the city constructs the facility and contracts out the operation to a private-sector firm, and another where the city provides the necessary road right-of-way and entrusts the construction and operation of the facility to the private sector. The latter scheme was deployed in high-profile districts such as Kita and Minami, where frequent use by shoppers and other short-term parkers helps ensure profitability for the private sector operator.
A separate case study, Kawasaki City, shows how simple changes to the fee structure can substantially affect utilization rates. Illegally-parked bicycles in the city were about 7,400 in 2012, a 20% drop from 2011, but bike parking usage was about 57,000, also an 8% drop from 2011. The decline in usage came after the city increased daily rates to ¥200 in April 2012, bringing them in line with privately-operated facilities. The city also expanded the fee structures at its facilities according to the quality of the facility and its location. Roofed facilities outside train stations might cost ¥200, while unroofed facilities far away from stations would be ¥30 or ¥50 less. Previously, the rates were flat at ¥100 for roofed facilities and ¥80 for unroofed facilities. The goal of the changes was to improve the profitability of the parking program and force users to prioritize between convenience or cost. The increased price of bike parking near train stations may have encouraged some bikers living within walking distance of the station to switch from biking to walking.
Other jurisdictions, such as Tōkyō’s Toshima Ward, have stepped up enforcement. The Ward conducted random removals of illegally-parked bikes about 3,800 times in FY2012, a little over 1,000 more times than five years ago. The sweeps are done during weekday mornings, evenings, and even Sundays, and in the autumn of 2004, the Ward increased the cost of reclaiming bikes from ¥3,000 to ¥5,000. In seven years, illegal bike parking dropped about 75%.
In particular, bike users make decisions about parking based on minimizing their incurred cost, factoring in the bike parking rates, the probability of having your bike confiscated, the cost of reclaiming the bike, and the bike’s salvage value. The rising popularity of more expensive bicycles, such as electric assist bikes, has perhaps influenced bicycle users to take advantage of bicycle parking facilities. Electric assist bikes are proving especially popular among the elderly and parents in the 20s, 30s, or 40s raising children.