The City of Victoria will continue to offer the free downtown bike valet service until at least April.
The coat check-style service located at Centennial Square was scheduled to end on Dec. 23.
“We’ve received a massive amount of requests from businesses, shoppers, and downtown workers to keep it open,” Coun. Matt Dell said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Over 37,000 bikes have been parked at the valet since March 17.
The service accommodates all active transportation devices including adaptive bikes, cargo bikes, bike trailers, jogging strollers and other personal mobility devices.
The city spent $260,000 on the valet in 2023. In 2024, Victoria council plans to discuss how the program will be funded going forward.
Former Victoria council candidate Janice Williams said in a post on X that a nominal charge for using the bike valet is extremely reasonable.
From January until April, the service will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday to Thursday. The valet will also operate on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The valet will be closed on Jan. 1.
Bikes left after operating hours will be impounded, and the cyclist will be subject to a $20 retrieval fee.
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