The Bicycle Coalition tags bikes that have been left in center city bike racks for extended periods. The tag includes a warning that the bikes will be removed in 7 days -- the actual span is a minimum of 7 days but could be longer. Most of these bicycles have suffered significant damage, are missing parts, etc. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors is a summer program, the dead bike removal has also generally occurred during summer. In February of 2010 the Bike Coalition did an extra tag and pick-up because of complaints -- perhaps because more bikes had been abandoned during the snowstorms.

The Streets Dept coordinates with the Bicycle Coalition and takes the bikes being removed and delivers them to Neighborhood Bike Works.

Neighborhood Bike Works is happy to work with artists, and they welcome artists to participate in their annual Bike Part Art Show. Artists can look through the inventory of bike parts that they collect for recycling and reuse.

However, Andy Dyson of NBW emphasized that artists who wish to do this should do so when NBW's "Bike Church" program for adults is open. He stated that it is very inconvenient to have people drop in during the afternoons when their youth programs are in session.

The web site for NBW's Bike Church is http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/bikechurch/index.html

There is no formal program for removing bikes outside of Center City. University City District, UPenn and Drexel conduct periodic bike removals in their areas and usually deliver dead bikes to NBW as well.

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
1500 Walnut Steet, Suite 1107
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Tel: 215-BICYCLE (215 242-9253)
Fax: 215-220-3004
Email: Bike@bicyclecoalition.org