This was the letter I sent to the PS and R committee members, who were considering repealing the Mpls bicycle registration requirement.(5/02)
I understand your committee has a proposal to repeal the ordinance for mandatory bike registration in Minneapolis. I urge you not to do this for the following reasons: As the original author of the Statewide Bicycle Registration System, I would urge Mpls not to remove the requirement. Low as participation has been, this step would make it even worse. Here are a set of reasons to keep it. -the law and ordinance was passed as part of an effort to be sure that the bicycle was considered to be a vehicle with the rights and responsibilities of vehicles. Registration aids in this concept. The law was written and supported by all bicycle groups. -It is not only an aid to getting your bike back, if stolen, but it reduces police wasted time in dealing with recovered bikes. The law was supported by police forces throughout the state, who would have liked to see it mandatory everywhere. (The compromise was to leave this at the discretion of the municipality). -It is also a safety feature, primarily for children who don't carry wallets and drivers licences with them. There was a least one story of a child in an accident (unconscious) identified only because he was riding a registered bike. -At $10 for three years it's a pretty cheap insurance policy. I had a bike recovered once and that paid for my lifetime of registrations. - Insurance companies liked it too. They preferred to have bikes recovered than pay claims. Are there changes needed? Yes!! Get rid of any ability to confiscate a bike unless there is positive evidence that it is stolen. Make registration easier and more accessible. Right now its at any Motor Vehicle registration office, and some bike shops and the U of M police dept. I'm sure there are other places also. I just renewed my registration for one bike and registered two others at the U of M stop and it took all of 15 minutes. Last report said there are about 30 cities with mandatory registration including Rochester and the U of M (if that's a city). Rochester's ordinance only applies to its residents and the penalty is a petty misdemeanor. Out of state bikes are not covered in Mpls ordinance. Comparing the numbers of registered bikes in cities with or without mandatory registration we come up with the following comparison: for the cities of Mpls and St. Paul. Minneapolis - 14,661 bicycles registered St. Paul - 1,721 bicycles registered As the state system is just about breaking even, it's very likely that if Mpls repeals its ordinance, it would go under financially and be eliminated. This would be a great disservice to the state bicycle community. My one stolen and returned bike (easily because of the registration) paid for my lifetime of registrations. By state law only for recovered registered bicycles are police required to get the record into the state system. Finally if we encouraged bike registration statewide, it could be a serious source of funding for trails and other bike facilities just as is the registration systems for snowmobiles and ATVs. This chunk of $$ coming into the state's treasury (even when it is in special funds) is what gives these groups their political potency. The proponents of repeal are concerned about unequal enforcement. Please go after that problem instead. I would urge you to refer this issue to the City Bicycle Advisory Committee. If that is not operative I would urge you to form one. Phyllis Kahn State Rep 59B PS. The council ignoring the bike committee recs and their own staff recs and the police recs did repeal the ordinance. I'm not sure what has happened with the number of registrations. The state funds go to maintain the system and to pay the salary of a state bicycle coordinator. With the exception of Barb Johnson and Sandra Colvin Roy the city council was impossible to educate on this issue. In addition, the police who provoked the issue by illegally confiscating the critical mass bikes were never disciplined, to my knowledge. _______________________________________ TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
