J Allard, a Seattle-based cyclist and once developer for Xbox, is part of the shockingly large demographic of victims of bicycle theft. Despite his best efforts in working with local police to recover his wheels, Allard was left to his own devices if he wanted to find his bike. Allard eventually found his bike listed for sale on CraigsList, but in order to get it back he had to repurchase his stolen bike.

Needless to say, Allard vowed to find a better way.

Enter 529 Garage.

Created in 2013, 529 Garage set out to create a sustainable program to help reduce bike theft, promote cycling, and make cities and campuses more bike friendly. This online service and mobile phone companion app focuses on bicycle registration and recovery.

Developed in conjunction with several law enforcement agencies, the 529 Garage allows you to easily and securely register your bike in just minutes, complete with images and all the necessary details law enforcement requires to expedite the recovery process. Beyond this detailed registration, the 529 Garage includes the ability to broadcast a “Missing Bike Bulletin” to all members in the area should a member’s bike get stolen.

The Missing Bike Bulletin will include images and details to help the community and law enforcement quickly identify and recover the stolen bike. Additionally, a detailed report is generated that can be passed onto a victim’s insurance company to help expedite a claim report.

If another 529 member thinks they’ve spotted a missing bike, they can respond with a location, photo, and text that will be immediately and privately passed on to the victim and law enforcement. Once the bike is recovered, the victim has all the information they need to prove ownership and recover their bike right from their phone. The 529 Garage also publishes a current Hot Sheet that shows all missing bikes within a given region.

Interested in registering your bike with 529 Garage? Visit the Waterfont Community Policing Centre with your bike and they will register you on the spot – for FREE!

Can’t make it to Waterfront Station? No worries, Transit Police will be hosting various pop-up registration events throughout the year.

Is your bike registered?