Lock Libraries increase bike security for students

Thanks to a grant from The Arusha Centre in Calgary, we’ve started to purchase locks that will go to schools, creating Lock Libraries.

Students will be able to go to  the office and sign out a lock, the same way they do a library book.

Our surveys of students show the risk of theft is a concern for most students. They rank it just after snow and cold as the reason they don’t ride their bikes to school. A cut-resistant U-Lock can cost close to $100, and is out of reach for many young people. YER’s Lock Libraries help fill a gap.

We purchased three solid combination U-Locks from B&P Cycle and have labelled them and delivered them to Lester Pearson High School. Staff in the office will sign out the locks to students and manage updating the combination regularly.  We’ll keep you posted on the uptake.

Having a secure lock is just one step in the fight against bike theft. We are also working with schools to improve the racks at school to make them more functional for students. They should be placed in a high traffic area, in the view of security cameras.

Bike should be locked properly – with the frame connected to the metal of the bike rack with a U-Lock. Locking tires, or removing a tire, also helps because a thief has to replace the wheel before they can ride away – precious time that allows someone to see them.

The final step for students is to get their bikes registered on Bike Index. Calgary Police have partnered with Bike Index to create a registry of bikes. This makes it easier for buyers and pawn shops to trace bikes and determine if they have been stolen, which acts as a deterrent for thieves. We’ve arranged to have Bike Index Stickers and information on how to use it at every one of our project schools.