City crews are circling the streets of Toronto, searching for bicycles left locked and abandoned.
Workers look for bikes that have been left in the same location for more than a month, and often have missing or damaged parts. Some have flat or missing tires.
"Bikes that are clearly abandoned will be removed immediately," the city's website says.
When officials are unsure whether a bike has been abandoned, the city will place a notification on the bike identifying it as abandoned. If an owner sees the tag, he or she can remove it then move the bike.
If the tag remains in place for 14 days, the bike will be removed.
"It's all about parking versus storage," City of Toronto Traffic Planning Manager Andre Filippetti said.
"We want to make (bike parking posts) available to cyclists so they can use them if they're commuting to work or using them for a leisure activity."
Cyclists told CTV Toronto that the project helps clear up spots for those who need them.
"There's so many most of the time. Nowhere to put your bike," one cyclist told CTV on Thursday.
"Especially in the winter, people lock them up and forget about them," another said.
Last year, nearly 1,000 bikes were taken off Toronto streets as part of the blitz, officials said. The bikes are carted away to an indoor "boneyard" full of broken pedals, lost chains and warped frames.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
