Campus Facilities to begin impounding improperly parked bikes

An influx of bikers has made for crowded bike racks this academic year.

By Savannah Kannberg

Published Sept. 30, 2011

It can be a challenge to walk to class without a few almost-collisions with errant bicyclists on Lowry Mall. As more two-wheelers dot MU’s sidewalks and streets, open bike rack spots become harder to come by than Taylor Swift concert tickets.

Therein lies the problem for the biking community: There are only 5,000 spots for bikes on campus, Sustainability Coordinator Steve Burdic said.

“We don’t have any hard numbers (on the amount of bikes this year),” he said. “It just seems like there’s more bikes to us.”

Mizzou Cycling President Brent Davidson agrees.

“The bike traffic has definitely increased,” he said. “The increase has made it hard to find a spot on a rack.”

When bicyclists cannot find an open spot, they tend to lock up their bikes wherever they can. That includes around trees, lightpoles, buildings, fences and railings. MU considers all of those improper parking spots.

Bikes are then subject to impoundment, because of rules set by MU. Not parking on bike racks can also mean expensive upkeep for MU, Burdic said.

“Sometimes it looks fairly innocent, you’re thinking you’re not really hurting anything,” he said. “I’ve been looking at some of the trees that people park on a lot, and it really does damage and ultimately kills the tree.”

This is not the first time bikes have been impounded. In the past, MU Police Department has taken in bikes blocking entrances, exits and handicap-accessible ramps and secured them at Surplus Property, MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said.

“It’s a safety concern,” Weimer said. “(Bicyclists then) have to come into the department (to) get their bike recovered.”

Starting Oct. 10, the warning period is complete and Campus Facilities will start impounding bikes. Although the Sustainability Office has encouraged people to get riding on their bikes, they believe it is time for people to park properly, too.

Until that starts, green tags are clipped on to bikes to let bicyclists know they should not be parking there. On the back side of the tag there is a QR code. When scanned, it shows the bike rack map, Burdic said.

“We found that most people say, ‘I can’t find a parking space for my bike so I parked it to a tree,’” he said. “It might not be exactly where you want to park your bike, but spend an extra minute or two to find a bike rack that has available spaces.”

As the weather gets colder, fewer people bike, which makes more room on the bike racks. It also buys the university time to get more racks up. Additional bike racks are reaching campus, but MU needs time to figure out where to put them, Burdic said.

“I’ve heard they’re adding 45 spaces at the student center,” Burdic said. “Having (campus) completely covered up with bike racks is not going to work.”

Tackling the tangled bike racks is tough, especially in heavily trafficked areas such as the student center. Bike racks are not always closer to buildings either, Davidson said.

“I’m not going to park far away,” he said. “I appreciate the convenience of having a bike (rack) where I’m headed.”