L.A. installs Bike Repair Stations

Los Angeles city workers recently installed self-service bike repair stations in:

1. Highland Park (5100 block of York Boulevard)
2. Eagle Rock (Colorado Boulevard at La Roada Avenue)
3. Silver Lake (Polka Dot Plaza)

This was part of a $17,000 pilot program (a grant from the Bikes Belong Foundation).

The metal cylinders are bolted to the ground and you can mount a bike on them for repair. There’s also a tool kit that includes screw drivers, wrenches and a bike pump. The tools are attached to the stations with metal cables and fasteners.

L.A. Department of Transportation addressed the issue of possible theft or vandalism on their own Bike Blog back in 2013:

…We will be working with the manufacturer to make the toolkit as vandal proof as possible. We also hope that by placing the stations in highly visible spaces in front of businesses that will care for them as a maintenance partner, we will deter theft with eyes on the street.

Local businesses have agreed to lock up the stations at night and unlock them in the morning.

♦ Other bike repair stations have been in existence for few years at the CSUN campus, Pasadena City Hall, and the campuses of PCC and Caltech.