Employees come together to reduce bike theft on campus

Bicycle theft remains a challenge on campus, but employees at the University of Arizona are working together to address it. A cross-campus committee is meeting regularly to explore how data, infrastructure improvements and education can reduce theft and improve the experience for the thousands of faculty, staff and students who bike to and around campus.

A campuswide approach

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Formed in December 2025, the Bike and Mobility Advisory Committee consists of representatives from the University of Arizona Police Department, Parking and Transportation Services, Housing and Residential Life, the Office of Sustainability, the Office of Integrated Campus Planning, University Facility Services and student government.

"We started this as a response to a couple of things, but most notably after John Pollard, dean at the Honors College, reached out about a rash of bike thefts at Honors Village," said Eric Kazmierczak, U of A deputy chief safety officer. "We wanted to apply evidence-based principles to the problem with a university-wide focus. And while it started as an ad hoc effort, as more campus units have come on board, it's become a standing working group that also reviews other campus mobility issues like scooters and pedestrian traffic."

The committee analyzes bicycle theft trends to identify opportunities for prevention. Although many thefts go unreported, available data show nearly 500 bike theft-related crimes between September 2024 and December 2025.

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"Very often, people don't realize their bicycle has been stolen until well after the fact," said Salena Torres Ashton, a lecturer and doctoral candidate in the U of A College of Information Science, who serves as an analyst for the committee. "Also, people sometimes wait to file a report thinking it might turn up, or they forgot where they parked it, so we usually only have a window of about five hours to know when a bike was stolen."

This fall, the committee will launch a pilot project outside Honors Village and the North Recreation Center, installing two bicycle corrals on either side of the walkway between the buildings. The enclosures feature five-foot-high fences, ample lighting and video cameras. Crews also consolidated the bike racks outside of the corrals.

"By having fences around those racks, we're creating density. By forcing more people to park in a certain place, you're putting more eyes on those spots," said Anona Miller, manager of sustainability and commuter programs at Parking and Transportation Services. "We're also narrowing the options for where someone can come in and go out, which we hope will discourage people from feeling confident about stealing bikes because their escape routes are limited."

If the pilot is successful, Kazmierczak said similar improvements could come across campus.

"We're going to set a measurement date and then track post-application and see what the difference is," he said. "If it's working, we'll try and replicate that in other places."

Protecting your bike

The committee also encourages riders to take a few precautions to minimize the chances of becoming a target.

"A really determined bike thief will cut through a U-lock if it's worth it for the bike," Miller said. "I recommend using two U-locks. If a thief sees two locks on a bike, that's double the amount of cutting and a real disincentive."

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Ashton said there are several ways to make your bike "less appealing to thieves":

• Park in busy, well-lit areas
• Check your bike regularly
• Avoid leaving your bike out overnight if possible
• Choose a full bike rack over an isolated one

Parking and Transportation Services partners with Project 529 Garage, a nationwide bike registration and recovery system that offers free registration, community alerts and integration with police reporting systems.

"The advantage of a national registry is that it stays active even after someone leaves the university," Miller said. "If a stolen bike is found in another city, it's still linked to their profile. It's not going to stop a bike from being stolen but it increases the chances of someone getting it back."

PTS also offers secure storage options such as bike lockers and enclosures in several parking garages as well as free Bike Valet parking, repair stations and shared bike programs to help riders protect their bikes. Information on bike parking options is available on the PTS Bicycles webpage.