Crime & Safety

Bike New London Seeks Stolen Cycle

Thief swipes women's bicycle on Saturday during preparations for bike share program's new season

The chairman of a bicycle sharing program said he is dismayed that someone would steal one of the organization’s green-and-yellow bikes.

“The ironic thing in the whole deal is the bike share program is free to use,” said Robert Bareiss, chairman of Bike New London. “Anyone can rent one of these out for free.”

Bareiss said he and other volunteers met on Saturday to prepare the program’s 12 bicycles for the new season, which began on Sunday and runs through Nov. 1.

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Bareiss said the bikes were being stored in the Cornish Parking Garage on the corner of Governor Winthrop Boulevard and Union Street. He said the decision was made not to move the bikes to the , where they are loaned out, due to the rainy weather.

Bareiss said he was going to take one bicycle, a women’s Murray, home to repair a bulging tire. He left it outside a storage room at the parking garage to get a vehicle with a bike rack, but when he returned the bicycle was gone.

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This cycle has a green frame and yellow fork and handlebars. Like other bikes in the program, it was also equipped with a helmet, lock, and basket. The serial number is U0770679.

“We’re hoping to get it back,” said Bareiss. “We’re hoping it won’t get damaged.”

This is the third year the bike share program has been run and, following approval from the New London Parking Commission, will be the first one operated out of the Water Street Parking Garage. Bicycles are donated or purchased via donations, and volunteers and sponsorships support the program. People can borrow the bikes by making a $10 refundable deposit and filling out an identification and waiver form.

The program has also done bicycling advocacy events, including group rides and workshops.

To report any information on the stolen bicycle, contact Bareiss at 860-912-6882 or the at 860-447-5269.

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