There is bike parking within 150 feet of every campus building! Take a look below for some tips to park your bike with confidence and style!

The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) receives an average of 65 reports of bike theft each year. We know that number is much lower than the reality because a significant number of bike thefts go unreported. The best way to protect your bike from theft is by properly parking and locking your bike. Register your bicycle to be alerted if your stolen bicycle is recovered.

Need to find approved parking spaces? Use the campus bike parking map to see the bicycle network and infrastructure in the University District.

Properly lock your bicycle

Have you ever walked around campus and seen a bicycle locked but missing a wheel? Or one wheel is locked to a bicycle rack all by itself?

Those bikes owners probably wish they had read this before leaving their bikes improperly parked.  And they really wish they had registered their bikes when they first got to campus!

  • Bicycles on campus, and in many cities, need to have both wheels and frame locked to a secure bike rack.
  • Start by finding a bicycle rack. Signs and objects may seem secure, but many signs are easily unbolted and sometimes objects like a park bench can be blocked by a parked bicycle. Outdoor bicycle racks are best.
  • Use a U-shaped lock. These locks can be purchased inexpensively from the Campus Bike Center.
  • You can use a cable for locking quick-release parts of your bicycle like saddles or the front wheel, but make sure the u-lock is secured to the bicycle rack.

Where to park your bike

The Campus Bicycle Ordinance prohibits locking your bicycle to anything other than a bicycle parking rack. If the bike parking location at your destination is full, do not park on a rail, post, or tree. Instead, use another nearby bike parking area. A bicycle parked anywhere that is not a designated bike parking area may be impounded, and parked bicycles creating a safety hazard or impeding traffic flow will be removed. If you think your bike may have been impounded, contact the Parking Department at 217-333-3530 or ParkingComments@illinois.edu to retrieve it.