As Bike Week in Winnipeg enters its final days, Mayor Scott Gillingham says he has heard loud and clear from the local cycling community: it’s time for a new bike registry.
Gillingham plans to bring forward a motion at the June 12 meeting of Executive Policy Committee to overhaul the city’s current bicycle 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. "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."
The 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.
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.