DPS drops bike fee proposal
A Department of Public Safety proposal to charge a bicycle fee died Tuesday, about a month after students railed against the plan during a campus forum.
DPS officials defended the program, stating that the estimated $10,000 to $12,000 would help offset the cost of the registration program. But on Tuesday, the department withdrew the proposal, fearing that registration rates would drop.
DPS requires all bicyclists to register with the department to aid investigations of bike thefts. The proposal would have charged bikers a $5 registration fee.
Opponents of the fee said it would inhibit students from biking to campus and might reduce the number of students willing to register bikes.
With fewer bikes registered, they reasoned, bike theft investigations would be severely hampered.
— Darren Freeman
