Ann Arbor eliminates bike registration

In a unanimous vote, the Ann Arbor City Council eliminated their bike registration ordinance according to the Ann Arbor Chronicle. According to the Chronicle, the current registration ordinance wasn’t working.

At a February meeting of the council — in the context of discussions on a possible revision to the registration program, as well as a revision to all the city’s ordinances on bicycling — Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) had reported that the registration program had in recent years, not resulted in the return of stolen bicycles to their owners. The return of stolen bicycles to their owners is an often-cited benefit of the program.

Specifically, Hohnke had said that from September of 2007 to the present, 39 stolen bikes had been recovered and returned to their owners — but in none of those cases had the bicycle registration program been instrumental. The return of those bicycles had been the result of regular police work.

The city staff is apparently looking at a new and improved bike registration ordinance, though it’s unclear why they would if the police have not needed it to return stolen bicycles.

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