The Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation posted new yellow signs warning bicyclists of chaining their bikes in tow zones on the rails outside Allen Hall yesterday.
The temporary signs, which read “This bicycle should not be here. Towing enforced,” are directed at students who chain their bicycles to the rails and block the handicap ramps.
Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation Director Gary Graham said towing bicycles is not a new policy.
“It’s something we’ve done for years, and every once in a while, we have to educate students where they can and cannot chain their bikes,” he said.
Graham said the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation encourages students not to chain their bicycles to the handicap ramps’ rails because it inconveniences people who need to use them.
“They’re really not supposed to chain them anywhere but a bike rack,” he said.
Graham said the bicycles are taken to the impound lot behind the LSU Public Safety Building.
A parking attendant said the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation tags bicycles that violated this policy during the summer. The attendant said the office gives the bicycle’s owner up to two weeks to remove the bicycle.
The attendant said if the bicycle is not removed, it is impounded, and the owner is given a month to claim the bicycle at the lot. If a bicycle is not claimed, the office enters it into a public auction. The last auction was on Oct. 24.
Trent Newell, petroleum engineering senior, said he drives to campus with his bicycle in his truck every day. He said he has never had a problem finding a place to chain his bicycle.
“It gets pretty crowded right here [in front of Middleton Library],” he said.
Josh Kleinpeter, English senior, said he rides his bicycle to campus every day. “I don’t see the harm in chaining my bike to random things, but if they’re going to enforce towing, they should have more racks,” he said.
Graham said if students want more bicycle racks, they should let the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation know.
—–Contact Angelle Barbazon at [email protected]