Think twice: Don’t lock your bike to that tree

By Phil Hnatkovich
In the not-too-distant past there were few options for Pittsburghers looking to lock up their bikes on the street. These days things are better with many new bike parking options Downtown and in our neighborhoods. Still, we continue to see cyclists choosing a tree over a rack when parking.

Far from a harmless choice, your bike and lock can cause serious damage to our trees. But that’s not even the end of the story: locking to a tree can leave your wallet lighter and carries a greater risk of theft.

Undoing Your Good Deed

When we get on a bike, many of us like to think that we are not only doing something good for ourselves, but for our environment as well. But if you harm a tree in the process, your bike trip to work or the coffee shop is, suddenly, a lot less environmentally friendly.

While tree bark looks rugged, it is the only barrier between the environment and the living tissue (cambium) that carries nutrients between a tree’s roots and leaves. Damage sustained through contact with a bike, lock, or chain provides an opening for fungal diseases to enter that, over time, can kill the tree. Young trees up to 2’’ in diameter are particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, it is just this size of tree — often newly planted in sidewalk cutouts — that attracts cyclists seeking an easy place to lock up.

Over time, many riders who use the same tree for parking will cause significant damage to it.

You could end up paying. Big time.

Shade trees are civic assets that “stabilize the soil, help control water pollution, preserve and foster air quality by removing carbon dioxide and airborne pollutants, abate visual and noise pollution and provide a natural habitat for wildlife” (City Ordinance 487.01). They can also cost thousands of dollars to replace if damaged or destroyed. Therefore, it’s no surprise that locking to a tree is unlawful in Pittsburgh and many other cities.

If you are caught, you can be fined and held liable for any damages resulting from your actions.

Don’t lose your bike to a lumberjack

If the environmental and out-of-pocket costs aren’t enough to make you think twice, consider that you could pay an even higher price — your bike itself. Lumberjack bandits are out there:

If you can fit a ulock around a tree, chances are that it can be cut down by a thief very quickly. You’ll be out a bike and Pittsburgh will be left with one fewer tree.

There are many other ways to park your bike that are legal, greener, and safer. You will find hoops, hitches, and other types of racks in most city business districts. All Pittsburgh Parking Authority Garages include sheltered bike parking; some of these facilities also have an attendant. If all else fails, even a (secure) signpost can suffice in a pinch.

Show your city some extra love and leave that tree alone.

Many thanks to the Shade Tree Commission for partnering with us on this effort. If you want to pick up some copies of the fliers to be a steward to a tree in your neighborhood, please contact Ngani: ngani@bikepgh.org.

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