Safe Riding Tips
Traveling with Bikes
All MTD buses are equipped with bike racks that can hold two bicycles at a time. There is no extra charge for using the bike racks, but if the racks are full, you may need to wait for the next bus. Properly folded folding bikes may be brought on board if they do not block the aisle or doors. MTD’s How to Ride offers more information about traveling with a bike.
Lock your bicycle with a good lock and in a good place.
Between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, there were 48 bicycle thefts reported to the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD). This number is believed to be a low estimate, due to under-reporting, and because some bike thefts on campus may have been reported to the local Champaign or Urbana city Police Departments.
That is an average of 65 reported bicycle thefts a year over the past five years! See below for the number of reported stolen bicycle (source UIPD).
To reduce the chance of bicycle theft, we recommend that you use two locks, each with a different locking mechanism.
Know your rights – on the road and at the bike rack.
The University Bicycle Ordinance prohibits locking your bicycle to anything other than a bicycle parking rack. If the bike parking location at your destination is full, do not park on a rail, post, or tree. Instead, use another nearby bike parking area. A bicycle parked anywhere that is not a designated bike parking area may be impounded, and parked bicycles creating a safety hazard or impeding traffic flow will be removed. If you think your bike may have been impounded, contact the Parking Department at 217-333-3530 or ParkingComments@illinois.edu to retrieve it.
Reporting bicycle theft
In case of bicycle theft, you must call or email the University of Illinois Police Department at (217) 333-1216 or Urbana Police Department at (217) 384-2320 or Champaign Police Department at (217) 351-4545 to report the stolen bicycle. You should also mark your bicycle as stolen in your 529 Garage bicycle profile. It is essential to notify the police department of the theft, and provide information such as when and where the bike was stolen, Shield ID, Serial Number, make/model, color, etc.
Report unsafe driving behavior on-campus to the UIPD.
If you see unsafe or illegal operating behavior or traffic incidents on-campus, including cars, bicycles, transit, and/or pedestrians, contact the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD), at their non-emergency number at 217-333-1216. Please utilize their call center with METCAD at 217-333-8911, to make these reports more immediate and to reach a wider range of officers who could make the case.
Diversion Program
To further promote education and awareness of safe bicycling behavior, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana and the University of Illinois are offering an educational diversion program for cyclists who receive municipal or university ordinance citations. Under all three jurisdictions, the first traffic citations for cyclists may be reduced or forgiven by completing an online educational tool produced by the Ride Illinois called the Bicycle Safety Quiz.