Free bike valet program expands

The City of Kelowna is ready to roll out its expanded Bike Valet program after a successful pilot last summer.

From May 18 until Sept. 2, residents and visitors can park their bikes for free between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The program will run Thursday through Monday at the same location as last year, the intersection of Bernard Avenue and Mill Street in the downtown.

The initiative was driven by RCMP data indicating an increase in bike theft in 2022. The Bike Valet was launched to create a more secure environment for those who bike and scoot, including the Loan-a-Lock program which is also available at Parkinson Recreation Centre, and the new bikeep smart racks that can be found around Kelowna.

Mayor Tom Dyas said the Bike Valet is an effective response to residents’ bike safety concerns.

“I hope residents and visitors are excited to be able come downtown to shop, connect, and eat out, knowing that their bike is safely secured as this innovative program returns and expands even further this summer,” Dyas said.

“The success of the program in 2023 was measured by the number of users, survey feedback and a significant decrease in bike theft downtown,” Broc Tracey, Community Safety Advisor, said. “We will be collecting feedback from users of the valet throughout the summer so we can continue to adapt and improve the service on an annual basis.”

Bike Valet staff will be available to register bikes with Project 529, a tool offered by Garage 529 intended to assist law enforcement with identifying and recovering stolen bikes. Users of the Bike Valet are invited to fill out a survey after using the service and can be entered to win a $500 gift card at a local bike store.