TORONTO, Nov. 16 (UPI) — On Monday, the City of Toronto began its annual practice of removing abandoned bikes from the city’s streets in preparation for winter.
The campaign officially known as “Safe Cycling – Share the Responsibility” involves local police searching for bikes that are broken down or seemingly neglected and removing them from the streets.
Nicknamed “bike-blitz” by some, the program encourages residents to call local authorities at 311 and provide detailed descriptions of any bikes that may have been abandoned.
A release from the City of Toronto states that any bikes missing, or with damaged wheels and seats, or that have been chained in the same location for over a month have likely been abandoned.
By law, any bikes that exhibit damage which makes them clearly unrideable will be seized immediately and without warning.
A notice will be placed on all other suspicious bikes, granting the owner a 14-day period to move the bike to a new location.
All confiscated bikes are held for a 60 day period, if they are not claimed within that time the city has them discarded and processed as recycled metal.
In 2015, Mark Romeril of Cycle Toronto explained that some owners lock up their bikes on city streets during the winter months due to lack of space.
The period runs annually from Nov. 16-20.
