This summer, parking a bike in downtown Kelowna, B.C., should come with a bit more peace of mind, courtesy of a bike valet pilot project launching this Saturday.
The bike valet service is being introduced as a two-month pilot with service available from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends from Saturday, July 1 to Sunday, Sept. 3, at the intersection of Bernard Avenue and Mill Street.
“We developed the bike valet with RCMP data in mind,” community safety advisor Broc Tracey said.
“Between 500 and 700 bikes have been reported stolen each year in Kelowna since 2019 and we see an increase in those reports downtown over the weekends. We hope the valet can reduce bike theft numbers and ultimately make people more comfortable coming downtown with their bikes.”
The city is partnering with the Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition to deliver bike valet service. The city is providing equipment and funding and the coalition is operating the site.
“The City of Kelowna has done well in removing barriers for multimodal road users, including cyclists, over the last number of years,” vice-president of the coalition Davis Kyle said.
“Of course, some barriers still remain. Bike theft is an important one and I’m pleased that we’re working with the city on the bike valet to help remove that barrier.”
Bikes left behind after 6 p.m. will be stored in a secure location and users will have to contact Community Safety Services at communitysafety@kelowna.ca to retrieve their bike the following Monday.
Whether the bike valet service sticks around will be determined once the data gathered during the pilot is considered.
User numbers and feedback, impact on bike theft statistics and other factors will be central to deciding whether the initiative continues beyond the pilot period.
Bike valet initiatives in Vancouver and Victoria were expanded due to their success, which is a potential for Kelowna moving forward.