11/26/2012
PRESS RELEASE: STREETS DEPARTMENT TO CLEAR ABANDONED BICYCLES IN PREPARATION FOR WINTER SEASON
Philadelphia, November 26, 2012 – Starting Thursday, November 29 through Thursday, December 6, the City of Philadelphia will conduct one of its periodic removals of abandoned bicycles in Center City as part of the Nutter Administration’s goal of maintaining a safe, clean streetscape. The Streets Department will remove abandoned bicycles that have been identified through Philly311 and tagged by the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities. Abandoned bicycles are those with missing or damaged parts, that are in un-useable condition and that have been locked in the same location for one month or more.
All bicycles scheduled for removal from racks, posts or other structures will be tagged with an alert notice to the owner at least one week prior to the removal date. The tags are bright yellow in color and contain the following information:
- Side 1: ABANDONED BICYCLE REMOVAL NOTICE along with the City seal.
- Side 2: Abandoned Bicycle Removal Notice—This bicycle has been identified as abandoned and will be removed between NOV. 29, 2012 & DEC 6. 2012. The owner is responsible for moving this bicycle to another location by NOV 29, 2012, or contacting the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities at 215-686-9000. If this bicycle has not been removed by Nov. 29, 2012, the Streets Department will remove the bicycle. All bicycles will be donated to local charities.
Removing abandoned bicycles is an important part of maintaining the streets for all Philadelphians; it frees up existing parking areas for cyclists clears out scarce sidewalk space. All abandoned bicycles will be donated to local charities that specialize in refurbishing bicycles. This effort follows up on a two-day sweep conducted at the end of June in which the Streets Department collected 80 bicycles and donated them to Neighborhood Bike Works and Resources for Human Development.
To report an abandoned bicycle, please call 311 or use the Philly311 smart phone app to report the bicycle. Remember to include a description of the bicycle, its location, any damage and what the bike is locked to (a tree, parking meter, etc.).
If your bicycle has inadvertently been identified as abandoned, simply remove the yellow tag and relocate the bicycle to a nearby bike rack. Call the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities at 215-686-9000 if you are unable to move your tagged bicycle or if you have any questions.
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