City Begins Enforcing Abandoned Bicycle Policy This Week

PORTLAND, Maine -- The City of Portland is starting enforcement of bicycles that are abandoned and locked on public property this week. The purpose of the new ordinance (Chapter 12, Article X) is to make space available on the City’s limited bicycle racks, remove obstructions to the public right of way, and put recovered bicycles back into productive uses for the community.

Abandoned bicycles are defined as any bicycle that has been locked in the same location within the public right of way for one month or longer and meets two or more of the following criteria:

1)     no tires or wheels,
2)     missing or warped wheels, handle bars, or seats,
3)     missing, rusted or broken chain that renders it inoperative
4)     visible layer of dust on the seat and/or handle bars

“The City will be tagging and removing bikes in the coming weeks to catch up with the backlog of bicycles that have been abandoned on public property for several months and even years,” said Kristine Keeney, the City’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Coordinator. “This will free up space on bike racks as well as remove obstructions to sidewalks and winter snow removal.”

Bicycles that have been deemed abandoned will be tagged with an “Abandoned Bicycle Removal Notice” by the Department of Public Works. The tag will list the date that the bicycle must be moved by the owner. If the bicycle has not been moved within 72 hours (3 days) of being tagged it will be removed. Bicycles that are blocking the pedestrian way or a handicapped access ramp can be removed immediately without notice.

All bicycles will be stored for a minimum of 30 days. You may retrieve your bicycle (at no charge) by contacting Public Works Dispatch at 207-874-8493. If your bicycle has been tagged in error simply take off the tag and move your bike to a different location. The City will not be responsible for damages to locks or bicycles that are removed.

If you identify an abandoned bicycle please report it via the Fix It! Portland App. When reporting an abandoned bike, please provide a description of the bicycle’s color, location, type of lock, what the bike is locked to (such as a bike rack, sign or light post, fence, etc.), and at least two criteria from the list above.

As part of the Abandoned Bicycle Program, the City will be selecting a local non-profit organization to be the recipient of any unclaimed bicycles based on their ability to refurbish and repurpose the bikes for community uses. Interested organizations can apply by responding to the Request for Proposal at the link below: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11051.