Gillingham pledges to get wheels rolling on new bike registry
In conjunction with the wrapping up of Bike Week in Winnipeg, Mayor Scott Gillingham is proposing beefing up the city’s bike registry.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Gillingham plans to bring forward a motion at Monday’s Executive Policy Committee meeting to overhaul the city’s current registry. The proposed changes are designed to combat the persistent issue of bike theft, enhance public safety, and promote sustainable transportation options.
“Bike theft is not just a property crime, it’s a barrier to sustainable transportation and a detriment to our residents’ quality of life,” said Gillingham in a press release Friday. “It’s time we make use of available technology and partnerships to implement a robust, free, and effective system to protect our cyclists and their bicycles.”
Meanwhile, Bike Week wrapped up Sunday with the Bike for the Future event. Put on by Bike Winnipeg, the ride aimed to let City Hall know that investing in sustainable mobility should be a priority. The ride began at The Forks with stops at Provencher Park, Stephen Juba Park, Central Park and Vimy Ridge Park before ending at the Legislature with a celebration of 10 years of Bike Week Winnipeg.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The Mayor’s motion will call for adopting a new, free-to-use bicycle registry system that is part of a larger multi-jurisdictional network for more effective tracking of stolen bikes within Winnipeg and across Canada. Gillingham points to the successful implementation of registries like 529 Garage and Bike Index in other cities.
Charles Feaver, chair of Bike Winnipeg’s bike theft working group, voiced his support for a new registry. “One of the pieces to solving the bike theft problem in other cities has been adopting one of the big registries, so this is a great start,” he said.
In a presentation to the Winnipeg Police Board on Friday morning, Feaver noted bike theft in Vancouver was reduced by 42% after that city adopted a new registry.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The Mayor’s motion directs the Public Service to consult with Bike Winnipeg, the WRENCH., and the Winnipeg Police Service to explore options for the proposed system and detail any budget implications tied to the adoption and maintenance of the new registry.
As many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg each year, with many more going unreported. The City of Winnipeg recovers approximately 1,000 bikes annually, with less than 10% returned to their owners.
Bike Week began last Monday with a variety of festive activities including the 15th Bike to Work Day, a pinata bike ride, birthday prizes, and bike repair and bike decorating workshops, efore wrapping up with Bike Week’s Birthday Bash at the Legislature,
Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins