Biking can be a cheaper, healthier, and a more sustainable alternative way of getting to campus. ACC is committed to supporting sustainable transportation modes, such as biking, as part of our climate commitment.
Protect Yourself & Your Bike
When riding your bike to campus, wear a helmet, watch for cars, and always lock up your bike or scooter to help prevent your bike from being stolen.
- Wear a Helmet – Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of significant brain injury by 63-88% when worn correctly. Always wear a well-fitting helmet in good condition.
- Be Visible – When commuting to campus, be cautious to always “See and Be Seen” by all vehicles on the road. High visibility vests and flashing lights are recommended, especially when traveling on roads or trails at night and with low visibility. You can plan your route according to safety ratings from other bicyclists in Austin by using the City of Austin Bike Safety Map.
- Park Smart – When leaving your bike on campus, opt for areas with high-foot traffic and in well-lit areas at night.
- Always Lock Your Bike – Never leave your bike unlocked and unattended on campus, even for 5 minutes. Buy quality locks and be sure to properly secure your bike, securely through the frame, to a bike rack on campus. If you can, double lock your bike with two different bike locks.
- Add Your Bike to Your Insurance – Research your homeowners or renters insurance to see if your bike is covered in the case of theft. You may need to declare your bike as part of your personal property, or purchase extra coverage, but it’s recommended that you always know your personal insurance policy.
- Report Stolen Bike – To report a stolen bike on campus, please call ACC Police at 512-223-1231 You will need the bike serial number, make, model, color, and last known location.
Registering Your Bike
Register your bicycle with ACC Police – If your bike is stolen, the best chance of recovering it is to have identifiable information, such as bike model, serial number, and multiple photos available to reference. When a bike is pawned, the pawn shop reports the serial number to the Austin Police Department, which enters the number into a database to which police departments have access. Using this database, they can search for your serial number.
How to locate your bike’s serial number:
Register your bicycle with a national registry – It is recommended to register your bike with multiple national organizations. When you register your bike with ACC Police, you will receive a copy of your responses. Keep this email for your records and use it to register with another national organization such as Bike Index, a national non-profit.
Keep photos and receipts – When purchasing a new bike or scooter, keep your receipts and photos of your bike to prove that you own it in the case that it is stolen and recovered.
Bike Resources at ACC
All ACC campuses have bike racks and locks available to loan from ACC Police, and select campuses have bike repair stations.
Bike Racks: Securely park your bike on each campus at one of the bike racks (and look for the bat wing shaped racks).
Bike Repair Stations: Repair stations including screwdrivers, tire levers, wrenches, hex keys, and an air pump can be found at the following campuses:
- Eastview
- San Gabriel
- Northridge
- Highland
- & more coming soon
Forgot a lock? ACC Police have bike locks available to borrow. Simply stop by their office with your ID card to loan a lock for the day.
Getting around town:
Always follow rules of the road: Bicyclists are required to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles.
- Always ride with traffic and never against it.
- Stop at stop signs and obey all traffic right-of-way rules.
- Use hand signals to alert other bicyclists, motor vehicles, and pedestrians of where you intend to move to.
- Riding and using a mobile device is prohibited.
- Ride with lights at night (White in the front and red in the back).
Ride the Bus with a Bike: Riding CapMetro bus and rail with a bike and your ACC Green Pass can help to reach further destinations and couldn’t be easier. Learn more about riding with a bike and how to load & unload your bicycle on the rack.
- Check out this video from Ghisallo Cycling Initiative on how to bike & train from Highland to Eastview Campus!
Austin Bike Map: Plan your best biking route in advance! The online Austin Bike Map offers up-to-date information about available routes by reported comfort levels of other bicyclists, so you can easily plan a safe and lower-stress bike ride.
MetroBike: Austin’s MetroBike bike-share program, makes it easy to hop on a bicycle for short trips between more than 77 stations around Austin. The affordable system offers numerous check-out locations with about 800 bikes, which includes electric bikes.
Local Bike Resources:
Check out some of the local organizations in the Austin area that offer bike resources.
- Yellow Bike Project (Reuse & Repair, Free Workshops, Earn-a-Bike Program)
- Get There ATX (Trip Planner & Bike Resources)
- Ghisallo Cycling Initiative (Bike Repair Clinics & Community Rides)
