MILWAUKEE — Service Manager Jordy Melrood and his team at Bublr Bikes are used to making repairs on bikes.
Replacing tires, adding new parts, and keeping the bikes in top shape are all part of the job.
Lately, their work has been ramping up as the nonprofit is seeing a spike in vandalism to their bikes and stations, along with more stolen or lost bikes.
Donate: Bublr Bikes - Keep Bublr's Wheels Turning (networkforgood.com)
“It's put a strain on everything, really, but we're trying to stay calm and not let it faze us,” said Melrood.
In July, 35 bikes were damaged or vandalized. 19 were stolen or lost.
That’s more than the entire previous six months combined, according to Bublr.
“We know that the destruction is harming the folks that need to use Bublr,” said Laura Bolger, Executive Director. “People who are using Bublr to get to work, to school, to run errands, doctor's appointments, or even just going out for a recreational ride.”
Watch: Bike mechanics, riders frustrated with influx of vandalized, stolen Bublr Bikes
Grant Fernstrum and his family have enjoyed using the bikes around town, especially during the festival season. He was frustrated when he heard the news about all of the vandalism.
“When all the bikes are out of service due to vandalism, it just hurts everyone in general, especially in the summer,” said Fernstrum.
All of the station docks at Tiefenthaler Park saw some sort of damage or vandalism, so Bublr had to shut them down. There’s no timetable on when they will reopen the station, as they are waiting for new parts to come in.
18 additional stations have also been vandalized, and 44 station docks have been destroyed.
“We normally don't keep this many parts on hand, or this many kinds of larger repair parts on hand,” said Melrood.
All of the destruction and theft are only adding to the workload. The bikes and stations take time to repair.
“The system has kind of suffered a little bit,” said Melrood. “We haven't gotten as many bikes out as we'd like to, so we've gotten a little bit more of an influx of calls like, 'Hey, the station's empty,' or, you know, a couple of bikes here are damaged.”
Bublr Bikes operates the bike-share program on behalf of the city of Milwaukee.
They provide 800 e-bikes and 800 acoustic bikes around the city and some neighboring areas.
“We were born and raised here in Milwaukee by community support, and so not being able to serve the community and our riders how we typically do, especially during our busy season, it's frustrating for us and disappointing to see the damage to the bikes,” said Bolger.
Bublr offers more than just a bike-share program as well.
They also provide an ‘Access Pass’ that provides a free annual membership and unlimited 60-minute trips for the year to those who qualify.
Young adults can enroll in their B3 Workforce Development Program, which provides work experience and certification as bike mechanics. There’s also an Adaptive Bike Program and Savvy Cycling, which teach riders how to get around the city safely.
“It’s been a bummer, but we’ve been keeping on,” said Melrood.
The nonprofit is accepting donations at this time to help with the repairs.
The Milwaukee Police Department is currently helping them find those responsible for the damage.
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