by Kevin Cody
The first bike corral Hermosa Cyclery hosted at the Hermosa Memorial Weekend Fiesta in 2010 was so innovative that during that summer’s Labor Day weekend fiesta South Bay Congresswoman Jane Harman stopped by to have her photo taken to demonstrate her concern for the environment.
The bike corral was meant to encourage visitors to bicycle rather than drive to Hermosa’s parking-challenged Fiesta.
Hermosa Cyclery co-owner Steve Collins estimates the corral parked about 100 bikes a day over the three-day weekend. All were pedal bikes.
At this past weekend’s Fiesta, over 1,000 bikes filled Hermosa Cyclery’s 80-foot by 150-foot bike corral each day on the beach, south of the pier. Nearly half were e-bikes.
Cyclists were given numbered tickets, which they were required to show attendants when they reclaimed their bikes.
In addition to benefiting the environment, the bike corral deters bike thefts, Collins said. Over the past two decades, there has never been a theft reported from the bike corral, he said.
By contrast, bike theft in Hermosa’s downtown is common.
Hermosa Beach Police Chief Landon Phillips told the City Council at its Tuesday meeting that his officers arrested four bike thief suspects in the downtown this month. All of the suspects had felony arrest records. On May 1, a suspect with five prior felonies was arrested. On May 4, a suspect with seven prior felonies was arrested. On May 7, a suspect with a history of shoplifting was arrested, and on May 17 two suspects with six prior felonies were arrested.
Chief Philips said bike thefts typically increase in number as summer approaches. ER .
