For University of Houston bicycle and scooter riders, one of the most important steps before bringing a bike or scooter to campus is register the ride with Parking and Transportation Services.  

The importance of registering one’s bicycle or scooter with the university is that if it is lost, stolen and later found or retrieved, the bike’s registration sticker will identify to law enforcement who it belongs to and where it’s registered. 

University of Houston Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Felipe Gutierrez said law enforcement agencies must log all reported stolen items in a national database. If a bicycle is reported stolen or lost and has been registered with UH, Gutierrez noted that UHPD can look up the serial number on the database and see if it’s been located elsewhere. 

UHPD used to manage bike registrations, but two years ago, Parking and Transportation Services took over bicycle and scooter registrations, and since the change, 200 bicycles and scooters have been registered. 

The UH community can register their bicycle or scooter in the following way: 

1. Log in to AccessUH.
2. Click on myParking Account.
3. Click the yellow button that says Bicycle Registration.
4. Enter your bike or scooter serial number, make, model, color, and upload photos of your bicycle.
5. Click Submit.
6. Pick up your bike registration sticker from the Parking & Transportation customer service office in the Elgin Street Garage, 4224 Elgin Street, Suite 110.
7. Place your registration sticker on your bicycle on the top side of the top tube, or the left side of the down tube. 

Gazelle Galvan, Parking & Transportation Program Coordinator, said once a bicycle or scooter has been registered, the registration sticker will be ready in minutes. 

One issue bicycle owners may face when registering their bicycles is if they do not have a serial number or if it's unreadable. In that case, Galvan said owners should input a 10-digit number they can remember and be as detailed as possible when entering their bike’s indicators like bike colors, make, and model. 

For bicycle riders, the added advantage of registering their bicycle means they have access to the Bikeep smart bicycle stations. Bikeep allows riders to securely lock their bike and deters bike thefts. Currently, there are two Bikeep stations on campus, at Butler Plaza and the second one at the University Lofts, for a total of 24 stations. 

“Luckily, bikes have never been stolen from Bikeep,” said Parking & Transportation Assistant Director Cindy Crews. “Bikeep is very safe, and I think that’s why we’re seeing an uptick in the number of users.” 

For bicycle riders that opt not to use Bikeep, Galvan and Gutierrez recommend U-shaped locks made by Kryptonite, or another reputable manufacturer. 

Learn more about bicycle registration and Bikeep on the Parking & Transportation website.