Victoria is one of the most bikeable cities in all of Canada, and according to the City, bike theft is down to the lowest it’s been since 2011.
In 2024, while biking in the city continued to trend upwards, a total of 377 bikes were reported stolen.
On top of being the lowest number of bikes stolen in 13 years, this statistic is 28% lower than 2022.
“We’re thrilled to see that our efforts to reduce bike thefts are making a difference,” said Mayor Marianne Alto.
“When people feel safe leaving their bikes while they shop, dine or do business, it contributes to a more vibrant downtown and improves our sense of community.”
Back in 2022, the Victoria city council invested $500,000 in funding better security for bike parking, with the downtown bike valet being a cornerstone of the plan.
In its first season, the bike valet parked and safely stored an average of 83 bikes per day. This season was only a portion of the year.
In 2024, council decided to have the bike valet open year-round and saw an average of 202 bikes stored per day.
In addition to the bike valet, in 2023, the City launched the ‘Borrow a Bike Lock’ program which made high quality locks available through numerous businesses, schools and community centres.
There have also been concerted efforts from the City to install new bike racks in strategic, high traffic and well-lit areas.
“We want people to be comfortable biking anywhere in Victoria,” said Ross Kenny, Assistant Director of Transportation.
“That means having secure, convenient bike parking options at your destination in addition to high-quality bike routes to get you there. As we’ve built out our cycling network, we’ve also been investing in services, infrastructure and programs to reduce bike theft.”
Additionally, the City and VicPD have collaborated to promote people registering their bikes so that if a bike is stolen, it can be easily reported.
The registration system is called ‘Garage 529,’ which has seen over 14,000 bikes registered since 2020. The City says 150 bikes have been recovered directly because of this program since it was launched.
