Bicycle Theft & Bicycle Removal Program

This August, the town of Brookline has seen the highest volume of bike thefts since recent years. Sector 2 and the area around the Brookline High School continue to be hot spots for bike thefts – in addition to Station Street, Linden Street, BHS/Tappan Street area. During the warmer months, most bikes are stolen while left unlocked in driveways, outside of schools, stores, or open garages. We advise all residents to stay alert and properly secure their bikes, especially for the upcoming months. Last year, the greatest volume of bike thefts occurred during the months of August, September, and October.

Bicycle Removal Program

The Brookline Police Department regulates bicycle parking on the public way. For these purposes, the public way primarily means town sidewalks, but also includes public parks. The principal intent of these regulations is to ensure that short-term parking for bicyclists is available in the town and second and that bicycles are parked in a safe and secure manner. One of the important ways of meeting these intentions is to remove abandoned bicycles that are taking up valuable spaces which could be used by other bicyclists (**it should be clear that the bicycle spaces in the town are not intended for long-term storage). Finally, the regulations address the fact that parking a bicycle to some fixtures is not acceptable: trees can be damaged, benches rendered unusable, or hand railings be unavailable to those who need them most.

If you see a bicycle that appears to be in violation of these regulations, please contact the "BrookONline" Website to make a report. If internet access is not available, contact the Brookline Police Community Service Division at 617-730-2248.

An abandoned bicycle (that meets the established criteria), or one that is in violation of the time (72 Hours) restrictions will be tagged and removed. A bicycle determined to be inoperative will be removed by the Department of Public Works for Disposal. A bicycle determined to be operative will be held at the Brookline Police Department of 30 days.

If you believe your bicycle may have been removed by Brookline Police Department, please contact the Property Detective at 617-730-2252.

BICYCLE PARKING ON THE PUBLIC WAY

 Bicycles ARE permitted to park against a building, street sign pole, or on a bicycle rack or other facilityspecifically intended for that purpose.

 Under NO circumstances shall a bicycle obstruct the pedestrian path of travel or handicap access ramps. A parked bicycle must leave at least 36 inches of an obstruction free path of travel.

 Bicycles are NOT permitted to be parked to: fire hydrants, hand railings, benches, trees, trash receptacles and parking meters. Bicycles in violation of the above regulations shall be tagged and removed immediately if presenting a public safety hazard as noted in this section.

 Bicycles shall NOT be parked longer than 72 consecutive hours at the same location on any public way or sidewalk. If the bike is determined to be working bike, a green colored tag will be affixed, and after a 72 hour time period be removed for storage purposes. The Department of Public Works (DPW) will transport the bike to Police Headquarters, and the sector officer will generate a report, identifying the bike and removal date.
 No motorized vehicles shall be parked on a bicycle rack or other facility specifically designed and intended for bicycle parking. Violators are subject to immediate removal by the Brookline Police Department. Motorized vehicles parked on sidewalks will be issued a parking citation and towed.


ABANDONED BICYCLE ON THE PUBLIC WAY

A bicycle with one or more of the following defects will be considered abandoned and can be removed and destroyed:

(a) No tires or wheels

(b) Have warped wheels or frame

(c) Missing, rusted or broken chain in such a state that renders the bicycle inoperative

(d) Missing or warped handle bars

If the bike is determined to be in one of the conditions described above, a red colored tag will be affixed the Police Department and the Department of Public Works will be notified for immediate pick up and destruction. The Officer will sign, date, and place the time on the tag for documentation purposes. The tag will be secured to the bike where it is visible to clearly observe.