New ‘tamper-proof’ locking bike racks coming to Kelowna

Special new bike racks are being installed around Kelowna to help reduce bike and scooter theft. The City of Kelowna is sponsoring a two-year trial period for a new bike locking system called Bikeep, according to a press release issued by the city, May 6. Bikeep racks have a “a strong tamper-poof metal arm to secure a bike frame and tire to the rack and connected to both an alarm and local security.  Should there be an attempt to tamper with a bike locked at a station, the alarm goes off and security is sent a message to come to the rack,” the release read. The Bikeep racks have charging ports to charge e-bikes and e-scooters. After the promotional period, it will cost a dollar to lock for three hours, or $8 for a full month of unlimited use. “Concerns over bike security have risen in recent years, between increased bike theft but also the increased value of many bikes,” the city’s active transportation planner Suzanne Therrien said in the release. “Electric powered bicycles and other micro mobility devices like scooters enable people to travel further around the city and make active transportation a more competitive option to driving. However, knowing how and where to park at the end of the trip is an important consideration.” READ MORE: FREEDOM TO BUSK: Some Okanagan cities restrict street performances others not so much https://infotel.ca/newsitem/freedom-to-busk-some-okanagan-cities-restrict-street-performances-others-not-so-much/it104548 The racks will be installed at four locations around the city by the end of the month. They'll go in at the Orchard Park Mall at the entrances facing Harvey Avenue, Dilworth Road and Springfield Road. Trying out the racks at the mall will be free until June 1. The city has plans to have Bikeep racks installed all round the city including Parkinson Recreation Centre, Cawston Avenue next to the Rotary Centre for the Arts, at the Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre and Pandosy Village. The racks will be operated and maintained by a local company called E-Kruise. Users will be able to use the racks through the Bikeep app. “Bikeep is smart bike parking that is innovative, flexible and reliable. The locks have had 99 per-cent theft reduction rate, are currently operating in 21 countries, and gaining uptick in North American cities,” founder of E-Kruise Ashton Olsen said in the release. To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .