The University of Michigan Grounds Department is gearing up to identify and remove abandoned bicycles from bike racks on the Ann Arbor campus beginning Nov. 1.
Brightly colored tags will be placed on bikes that show signs of abandonment, such as bent rims, rusted or broken chains, deteriorated tires or frozen brakes, cables or shifters.
Each tag and bike will be photographed and have its location, model, color, serial number and registration documented, if available. This information will be provided to the U-M Police Department.
Tagged bikes left on campus after Nov. 15 will be considered abandoned and will be removed by the Grounds Department.
Bicycle owners who want to retrieve their bikes should contact the U-M Grounds Department at 734-763-5539. All collected bicycles will be donated to a local nonprofit to be refurbished and donated to Michigan schools.
The program, which launched in 2016, has since removed more than 1,000 abandoned bicycles campus to make room in the bike racks.
Robert Utterback
Abandoned bikes are a problem on campus. It would be nice if the university had in place a SeeClickFix-style mechanism. Such a system would effect removal of abandoned bikes more promptly than the one now used, which typically takes months before action, if any, occurs.
Sophia Sapienza
UGHH FINALLYYYY there’s a small bike rack outside of alice lloyd where this bike has been sitting all semester so far, it’s totally rusted and its tires are completely deflated and it hasn’t been moved at all. really annoying since it’s taking up the best spot on the rack, i’ve been waiting for someone to get rid of it