NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- New York City officials are hoping a new piece of technology unveiled Thursday will help prevent bike thefts.
Oonee Mini was unveiled in Domino Park Thursday, a free, secure bike parking system. It has the ability to to hold several bikes in the overall space usually occupied by a full-size car.
Mayor-elect Eric Adams biked over to the park, and ceremoniously made first use of the piece of technology.
"Access to bicycle parking is the number two reason that people are afraid to have bikes and move throughout the city," said Adams. “Many of those at risk are deliverymen who use and utilize their bikes to deliver food, it's their way of living.”
Oonee founder Shabazz Stuart underscored the need for more secure bike parking, saying one in four city households has experienced a bike theft. He said the idea came to him after he had three bikes stolen in five years.
The enclosed bike parking isn’t entirely new to the area — it has pods near Atlantic Terminal and in Jersey City's Journal Square, with another coming to Grand Central soon. And Stuart said he wants to see it expand across the city.
Pods can be accessed via a phone app and are meant to enhance public spaces so that they can also be used for greenery or seating.
Biking has seen even more popularity in New York City in the wake of the pandemic, with an increase in trips by 1.8 million, according to a city report.
Adams denoted that the Department of Transportation is planning 10,000 new bike parking spaces by the end of 2022 — but said “the movement is here now!”