Access System Improvements, Keeping Your Bike Safe and Abandoned Bikes Info

This Bike-n-Ride Update Covers

• Access System Improvements
• Abandoned Bike Removal
• Keeping Your Bike Safe

Access System Improvements

A big thank you for your patience if you encountered glitches and other problems at the bike shelters. All the shelters now have updated technology running the access system and the westbound McCaslin shelter has a new door.

To report a problem with any of the shelters, call 303-441-4520 or email us at bikes@bouldercounty.gov.

Abandoned Bikes

This fall abandoned bikes will be removed along with any other items from the Bike-n-Ride shelters that have been left to gather dust. Each abandoned bike will be tagged 30 days before the bike is removed. Only bikes that look abandoned will be tagged. What does an abandoned bike look like? It might be dusty and have a flat tire or two.

If your bike has been tagged (example in photo below), you have 30 days from the date on the tag to remove the bike. The terms and conditions for using the shelters allow bikes to be stored in the shelter for 30 days in a row without removing it. If you use your bike during the 30 days, the 30-day clock starts over so this only applies to people who are not using their bikes at all for 30 days in a row.

Keeping Your Bike Safe

The Bike-n-Ride shelters keep your bike out of the weather and add one more layer of protection from theft, but security is not guaranteed. Sadly, bike theft can happen anywhere and does happen from the Bike-n-Ride shelters.

This is not to dissuade you from using the Bike-n-Ride shelters. The bike shelters are used every day by dozens of people and reports of stolen bikes are rare.

There are a few steps you can take to make it much more difficult for someone to steal your bike:

• Lock your bike with a U-lock. If you don’t know which kind to buy, ask at your friendly neighborhood bike shop. Lock both the frame AND the front wheel to the rack because the front wheel is easy to remove. You might need two locks to do this. Locking the rear wheel is extra added protection.
• Record your bike’s serial number and store it on Bike Index. Having the serial number does not make the bike harder to steal, but it does increase your chances of recovering your bike if it is stolen. To find the serial number on most bikes look under the bottom bracket - the part of the frame between the pedals. It is usually stamped into the frame. It is also usually on the store receipt for new bikes.

The Boulder Police Department and other agencies recommend using Bike Index. It only takes a few minutes to put the serial number of your bike on the Bike Index site.

As always, please contact me if you have questions or comments.

Wishing you Happy and Safe Pedaling 😃

Alexandra Phillips
Boulder County Bike Planner
aphillips@boudlercounty.gov
303-441-4520