North Texas Daily

Nicholas Friedman // Senior Staff Writer

Over the next few weeks, the UNT Parking and Transportation Department will tag, collect and store bikes that are deemed “abandoned” after being left on campus following the end of the semester.

Most of the bikes tagged are missing important components such as wheels or chains, but others are marked because they have been parked in the same spot for an extended period of time. This is often the case with international or out of state students who are unable to transport their bike home.

“The bikes are usually picked up twice a year during the long breaks,” said Jonathan Grose, former community service officer with the Parking and Transportation Department. “This happens over about a two week period where they place yellow tags on the bikes and then come back later for the ones that still have tags on them.”

Bikes will also be picked up periodically throughout the year outside of dorm halls, with directors calling about bikes they think are left behind, abandoned or hazardous to students.

“We’ll get calls during the semester about bikes left outside of dorms,” Parking and Transportation customer service representative Monica Ussin said. “Sometimes they’ll be blocking pedestrian walkways or handicapped spots and they need to be moved.”

After being picked up, the bikes are taken to the UNT Police Department on Wilshire St. and stored for an extended period of time, Ussin said.

“Typically the abandoned bikes will stay at the police station for awhile,” Ussin said. “If they are not claimed by the owner after this time they are then taken to the Surplus Warehouse for sale.”

The UNT Surplus Warehouse, which usually receives a group of new bikes 45 days after graduation, sells them at prices that are set based on condition and function. Most of the bikes will range anywhere from $15 to $40.

“Most of the money made by the Surplus Warehouse goes back into the General Fund at UNT,” Assistant Director of Asset Management Karl Skaar said. “There is some overhead, but most of it goes there. It also goes back into the Police Department.”

Feature Photo: Bicycles parked on campus, like these in front of the Environmental Science Building, run the risk of being picked up by the UNT Parking and Transportation Department if the bicycles lack a proper permit, are blocking an area or seem to be abandoned. The UNT Surplus Warehouse receives the collected bikes about 45 days after each graduation and sells them to patrons. Photo by Senior Staff Photographer Christina Ulsh