Cyclist Phil Balding knows how bad bike theft is in Wollongong - in the last decade he's had seven of them stolen.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On top of that, there have been at least a dozen times when he's come back to the bike only to find it has been dismantled - the wheels, brakes and other pieces removed.
More recently, it has been a DIY e-bike that has been pilfered.
"My previous one was stolen from Fairy Meadow station," Mr Balding said.
"I try not to leave e-bikes in public but I use it as my vehicle. I'm car-free, trying to do the right things. If you're going into the city and being car-free, you have to leave your bike places."
The last straw was when he bought a $200 bike to leave at train stations and, two weeks later, it was dismantled despite being chained up.
"After my last bike was stolen I bought an electric skateboard because I can take it on the train with me," he said.
"I can take it to the office. I can take it into restaurants and leave it in the cloaking room. It's a lot more convenient to take it inside and not have to worry about theft."
Some train stations in the Illawarra have bike lockers but they operate on a rental basis and, with Mr Balding using several different stations, renting multiple lockers doesn't make sense.
For some time he has been lobbying local MPs and Transport for NSW to install Opal-activated bike sheds at Illawarra stations.
Capable of fitting up to 55 bikes, they operate on a first-come first-served basis and access is limited to those who have linked their Opal card to that specific shed.
It's a move backed by Wollongong City councillor Cath Blakey, who has a motion at Monday night's council meeting to write to Transport for NSW requesting secure bike sheds at Illawarra stations.
The priority stations would be North Wollongong, Wollongong, Thirroul and Dapto.
Cr Blakey said a lack of secure places to leave a bike discourages people from using them.
"I've done it myself - I avoid riding to the station unless I take my bike on the train with me," Cr Blakey said.
"But I know people complain about that sometimes because our trains aren't really designed to have lots of bikes on them. You can block access to the stairs and the exit.
"I've seen people abuse cyclists for it but when there's no safe place to leave your bike that is the problem.
"It's a real barrier for people to ride to the station. A secure bike shed would be quite a cheap and really effective way to improve integrated transport."
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
