Vancouver Police, the Vancouver Police Foundation and the City of Vancouver are partnering with Project 529 and have developed a Vancouver bike registry called the 529 Garage.
“In attacking the $500-million bike theft epidemic in North America, we felt it was vital to create more than a bike registration database,” said J. Allard, founder of Project 529.
“We wanted to create an active network of cyclists that could look out for one another and assist law enforcement with real-time alerts and easy reporting. We are thrilled to partner with Vancouver to help their community be proactive in protecting their property.”
What is Project 529?
Project 529 is a small team of cycling enthusiasts who wish to use their affinity for building technology to help fight against bike theft. The first order of business: their first app called the 529 Garage. This app is a bike registry that integrates a theft report system with a recovery system.
What is a bike registration and what does it do?
A bike registration is a lot like a car registration. It essentially provides proof of ownership of your vehicle. This service can be used worldwide and by authorities, organizations, and individual users alike.
A registration is handy in the event of theft or damage, or sale:
If you need to make a police report, it captures all of the info that they will ask for.
If you need to file an insurance claim, it captures all of that info, too.
If you are going to sell your bike to someone you can easily create a transfer with a bill of sale.
Also, we hope you never have to use this feature, but if your bike ever does get stolen, you can use your registration to quickly make a report, print posters, and send out notifications to your social network and the growing 529 community. These features are especially useful when time is of the essence.
What is 529 Garage?
529 Garage is an iOS/Android mobile application and website service to easily:
Register your bike in a database that will work world wide
Transfer the registration of your bike in the event of a sale
Report your bike in the event of a theft to the 529 Community
Send your registration information to police and insurance in the event of theft or damage
Search the database to ensure that a bike you are purchasing has not been reported missing
Notify the community and your social networks in the event of a theft
View the Hot Sheet of other missing bikes in your area, to keep a look out for them
Print registration cards and missing posters
Connect to fellow cyclists if you spot a missing bike
Solve registry or parking software needs if you have a large population of bikes to manage, i.e. universities, rental properties, bike shops, etc.
You can register your bike on the website here. Or you can download the App form the Apple store or Google Play here.
Is there a limit to how many bikes I may register?
Nope, register away. You may register as many bikes as you own. And it’s freeeee!
Will this service work anywhere in the world?
This service will work anywhere in the world. Yes, the more people that use it in any particular locale, the more effective it will be, but the functionality of the software will work anywhere in the world. Just consider yourself an early adopter and help us to be more effective by spreading the word around where you live.
