Bicycle Policy

Licensing

Students are required to license their bike if within the Walla Walla city limits. The Whitman College Sustainability Department, Security, and Residence Life have collaborated to aid in this process. After filling out the Sustainability Department WC Bike License Registration Form, Whitman students will be given a WC Bike License Sticker in their Reid Campus Center mailbox. Please keep in mind it could take up to three weeks to get your sticker. Please follow the guidelines in the registration form for applying said sticker to your bike.

All information submitted via the bike licensing process will be saved and referenceable in the future by both City of Walla Walla and Whitman staff. Licensing bikes helps keep them safe in case they need to be moved or they are lost or stolen.

What qualifies as abandoned bikes, parts, or locks?

The bike has been left in the same position and location for at least 49 days.

The bike is missing one or more major components such as a wheel, seat, or handlebars for at least 7 days, or the bike has excessive rust, excessive dirt or dust covering the handlebars, or flat tires and has not been moved for at least 7 days.

The bike, bike part, or lock is locked to a handicap handrail or a location deemed to impair safety on campus.

The bike, bike part, or lock is locked to a structure or tree in a manner that does not pose safety concerns, but the bike is in a state of disrepair such that it is incapable of being operated in its present condition.

The lock is left attached to a bike rack without a bike attached for two weeks. This is not acceptable because it occupies space that could be used by others.

If a bike or bike part has been left in a Residence Hall over summer break without proper tagging. Students must include their name, expected graduation year, and phone number.

What happens with abandoned bikes, parts, or locks?

When a Grounds or Sustainability staff member identifies a bike, part, or lock that qualifies as abandoned, they shall alert Security. Security shall also look out for abandoned bikes, parts, or locks as they make rounds on campus. During special events (e.g., evening lectures), Security shall be less rigid with enforcement, except where safety is impaired.

If the abandoned bike, bike part, or lock qualifies as abandoned and is locked in a manner that does not pose safety concerns, it shall be entered into a tracking log by Security, and Security shall email the owner registered to the bike (and CC the Bike Share Assistant) if the bike is licensed to notify them that the bike, bike part, or will be removed in 14 days (except for winter and spring breaks, when removal will take place two weeks after the end of break).

The owner shall have 14 days to reply and remove the bike or otherwise take care of it, so it no longer qualifies as abandoned. If the owner does not respond to the email that is sent nor removes or takes care of the bike within the specified timeframe, Facilities shall proceed with removing the bike.

Facilities shall photograph the bike in place, remove it from the location, take it to storage in WCTS, tag it with the date and location or pickup, and document it in a tracking log.

If a bike is unclaimed by the contacted owner, or unlicensed so the owner can’t be determined, or the abandoned item is a bike part or lock whose owner can’t be determined, it shall be stored for seven months, which is sufficient time to allow students who go abroad to claim their items when they return to campus.

Bikes, bike parts, and locks unclaimed after seven months of storage shall be given to the Office of Sustainability Bike Share Program to determine if it can be added to the bike share fleet. If determined to not join the fleet, the bike may go to the Outdoor Program for repair and resell or use of parts. This will provide zero-cost bicycles for students to rent and low-cost bicycles for students to purchase.

If a bicycle, bike part, or lock is locked to a handicap handrail or a location that is deemed to impair safety on campus, it shall be handled in the same manner as abandoned bicycles, bike parts, and locks, except that it shall be removed in 24 hours.

If a bike or bike part is left in a residence hall over summer break without proper tagging, it will be removed and placed in storage for seven months. If not claimed after that time, the bike or bike part will be given either to the Bike Share program or the Outdoor Program.