New cyclist awareness signs on downtown campus

After receiving numerous complaints about bicycles locked in inappropriate locations, McGill has introduced some new signage to make cyclists aware that they may be obstructing others from enjoying campus.

By McGill Reporter Staff

McGill’s downtown campus features some 200 separate racks with spots for locking up to 1800 bikes. But convenient spots can sometimes be hard to come by, so some cyclists will unfortunately lock their bikes to anything that doesn’t move, including construction fences, access ramps for the physically disabled, stair railings, fire escapes, benches, trees and even other bikes.

The University has recently received complaints that bikes locked to handrails have seriously impeded access for the physically disabled and blocked egress from fire escapes – the problem is especially prevalent at the Milton entrance (Wilson Hall, Visitor’s Square).

As a response, McGill has introduced some signage to make cyclists aware that they may be obstructing others from enjoying campus.

The University has also developed signs discouraging cyclists from locking their bikes to trees. Regular locking on trees removes the bark, the tree’s primary defence against disease and physical damage. As bikes are typically locked to young-trees, this can result in mid-term death for the trees on campus.

The University will evaluate the effectiveness of the signs and determine what, if any, additional interventions may be required.

For more information about cycling at McGill, click here.

To view a Google Map of downtown campus bike rack locations, go here.