More than 1.4 million bikes in Montreal, but how many get stolen?
City of Montreal says bike thefts are declining, but the exact number is difficult to pin down
Montreal may be a cycling city, but anyone who's had a bike stolen will tell you it's far from a cyclist's paradise.
Vélo Québec revealed Monday that an estimated one million Montrealers ride a bike, representing 51 per cent of the city's population.
The organization also says there are nearly 1.5 million bikes in the city.
What isn't known is how many of those bikes are stolen every year.
The City of Montreal says bike thefts are actually declining. There are roughly 2,000 reports of stolen bikes every year, though Montreal police say that number has dropped over the past two years.
But it's believed that most people don't report stolen bikes to police, even if they can do so online.
Radio-Canada says the actual number of bikes stolen in the city per year is estimated at around 20,000.
The City of Montreal says there are no precise data on the number of stolen bikes in Montreal.
Dominique Audet, who administers the Facebook group Vélo Volé (Stolen Bike), said as long as the real number of bike thefts in Montreal isn't known, claims that the city's reputation as a bike theft capital is improving are hard to believe.
His group has 4,000 members and serves as a clearinghouse for information on bike thefts around the city.
Members who have had a bike stolen provide details and the other members keep an eye out for the missing two-wheeler.
Audet said around 50 bikes have been located over the group's three-year existence.