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A new way to report poorly parked bike share bikes

We’ve all seen it – brightly colored bike share bikes parked in the middle of a sidewalk, blocking the way for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

Now, just like you can report parking violations, you can report poorly parked bike share bikes on our Find it Fix it app.

Last year we teamed up with Rooted in Rights to create a video showing how poorly parked bikes impact people’s ability to get around.

Here are a few reminders of good bike share parking:

  • Park the bike in between the sidewalk and the street.
  • Leave at least six feet clear for people to pass.
  • Don’t park next to buildings
  • Don’t park on corners, driveways, or curb ramps.
  • Don’t block access to buildings, benches, parking pay stations, bus stops, hydrants, etc.
Poorly parked bike blocking transit stop access
Poorly parked bike blocking transit stop access.

Next time you see a bike blocking the way, report it on our Find it Fix it app.

Since Seattle first welcomed a dockless bike share program in 2017, we’ve made major changes to make sure bikes are parked where they should be.

  • We’ve worked with bike share companies to increase rider education on how bikes should be parked.
  • Last year alone we installed 1,515 new bike parking spots.
  • Starting this summer riders will need to take a photo of their properly parked bike after their ride.

We’ve seen a huge improvement in how people park their bikes, but there are still some bikes blocking sidewalks, curb ramps, and building entrances.

Bike share companies are responsible for moving their misparked bikes, but many times they don’t know that a bike has fallen down or is blocking a sidewalk.

A JUMP Bike parked in Gas Works Park.

Here’s where you come in – you can now report poorly parked bike share bikes on our Find it Fix it smart phone app, by calling 684-ROAD, or online.

Our Find it Fix it app and 684 – ROAD number are ways you can be the eyes and ears of our city and alert us when something needs to be fixed – be it a pot hole, damaged sign, fallen tree, or now a poorly parked bike share bike.

Here’s how it works:

  • Open the Find it Fix it app on your phone
  • Take a photo of the poorly parked bike
  • List the location
  • Indicate the bike share company name
  • Press submit

Or you can call 684 – ROAD (206-684-7623) and report the bike share company name and bike location or fill out the online form.

A JUMP Bike parked properly on the side of the sidewalk.

It’s that easy!

When we receive the report, it’ll be routed directly to the bike share company who will send someone out to investigate the issue. They will then close-out the report with how they resolved the issue – which can range from “bike moved to appropriate parking location” to “bike not able to be found”, depending on the circumstances.

Our ultimate goal is to not receive any reports of badly parked bikes – because we want them all to be parked properly

But in the meantime, we hope that this new reporting method will help give you the tools to report something you see.