If you’ve got a bike locked up in Louisville, you may want to check that it’s in good repair. Metro Louisville Public Works is set to begin removing abandoned bikes locked up in the public right of way.
“An increase in bicycle ridership in Louisville has brought with it an increase in abandoned bicycles, bikes left unattended in one spot for days or even months,” reads a recent letter from Public Works. “Public Works will soon begin removing bikes that are abandoned on sidewalks or other public right of way areas.”
Don’t worry about your bike disappearing just yet, though. Public Works will be tagging abandoned bikes with a 14-day notice of removal before they haul them away. Once it’s gone, the city will store the bike for another 14 days (under Louisville Ordinance 97.074) before donating what’s left of it to a charity to be cleaned up and repurposed.
What counts as an abandoned bike? According to Public Works, they’ll tend to be missing parts or have obvious damage, flat or missing tires, has been locked in the same location for over a month, or is generally in unusable condition.
To report an abandoned bike or inquire about your own, you can call MetroCall at 311 or 502-574-5000. The city asks that you describe the bike in detail when you call.
I wonder whether this will apply to “ghost bikes,” like the memorial to Jen Futrell on Bardstown Road.