Bicycle Policy

Bicycle Registration is Mandatory 

• Please read our new Bicycle Policy below, that is effective March 25, 2012
• Bicycle registration is now mandatory at the College of Charleston
• Bicycle registration is available at Public Safety 24X7
• Public Safety is located at 81-B St. Philip St. Phone 843.953.5609 

The College has established a formal Bicycle Operation and Parking Policy.  The purpose of this policy is to ensure the safety of both users of bicycles and the College of Charleston community as a whole and to promote the advancement of the College towards a friendly, pedestrian, and environmentally healthy community. 

The new policy can be found under the Health, Safety and Law Enforcement section (section 8) of the College’s policy webpage.  The policy number is 8.5.1.  Please note that under this new policy, bicycle registration is mandatory for the campus; however, there will be no fee for bike registration.

The free bicycle registration will begin on April 3rd in conjunction with the SGA’s Spring Bike Auction.  Any bicycles registered prior to April 3rd will continue to be registered with the City of Charleston and thus will require the current $1.00 registration fee.   

The reasons for mandatory bicycle registration are: 

1. Bicycle registration has proven to be an important crime prevention tool for the police and is of great assistance in finding the rightful owners of bicycles;
2. The City of Charleston no longer requires bicycles to be registered.  Registrations are now optional under the provisions of City ordinance.  (The campus police will honor City of Charleston registrations, so for those members of the campus community with City-registered bicycles there is no need to also register them with the College.)

I also call your attention to the bicycle parking (section 4.0) and operation (section 5.0) sections of the new policy.  Operators of mopeds should also take note of section 4.0 of the new policy.  

While campus police officers will begin to enforce this new policy, there will be an education period for the members of the campus community.  We appreciate your patience during this education and transition period into the new policy.     

New Bicycle Operation and Parking Policy (pdf). 

Thanks—

Paul V. Verrecchia,  M.P.A.
Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police
College of Charleston
Division of Student Affairs
81-B St. Philip Street
Charleston, SC  29424
President, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
(843) 953-5615 (office)
(843) 953-2106 (fax)
email:  verrecchiap@cofc.edu