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New York has a severe lack of parking for bike commuters compared to other cities — to the tune of just one spot for every 116 bicycles, according to a new report accusing Mayor Bill de Blasio of slacking on his promises to build more.

That parking shortage helped fuel a bike theft surge in 2020 as cycling gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group Transportation Alternatives said in the report published Tuesday.

“Simply put, there is not enough bicycle parking in New York City,” said Danny Harris, the group’s director.

“Our city needs to start building more bike parking now. Installing dedicated spaces at scale will send a strong signal that biking is safe, reliable, and accessible for all New Yorkers.”

The dearth of bike parking pales in comparison to the city’s 1.5 free curbside parking spots for every car, according to the report. New York is also behind other major American cities in terms of bike racks and corrals per 100,000 residents.

Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. all have at least six bike racks per 100,000 people, compared to New York’s fewer-than-four, according to the report.

Portland, Oregon, meanwhile, has more than 20 bike corrals per 100,000 people, the report said. New York has next-to-none.

The group blames the mayor for falling short on a batch of promised initiatives to add spots for cyclists.

New York under de Blasio has installed half the amount racks per year under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the report said. The de Blasio administration has repeatedly missed its own goal of adding 1,500 spots per year.

Shutterstock / Andriy BlokhinShutterstock / Andriy Blokhin

To turn that around, the group calls on the city to “significantly increase bicycle parking,” starting in low-income communities and communities of color.

A Department of Transportation rep said the city managed to add 1,150 bike parking spots in 2020 “despite COVID’s challenges.” The spokesman pushed back on the group’s assertion that the city had slacked on its efforts.

“NYC DOT takes bike parking very seriously and contrary to the report has without question brought about a successful broadening of parking availability across the five boroughs,” said the spokesman, Scott Gastel.

“As a part of our recovery efforts, we continue to install bike corrals without partners and we will monitor and maintain them as necessary.”

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