A bicycle thrown onto a basketball hoop in Fort Benton on Tuesday was the final straw for the Chouteau County Health Department, which has now placed locks on bikes that are part of their free community bike program.
ANEESA COOMER REPORTS - WATCH:
The health department started the bike program four years ago to encourage encourage physical activity and health. Yellow bikes were placed at three locations throughout town for public use.
Recently, however, some bikes have been found broken, not returned to their designated spots, or even dumped in the river.
"I don't know what else to do. I hate to do that because I want the bikes to be available even when the library isn't open, but it's a lot of work to keep these bikes maintained," said Nancy Lachapelle of the Chouteau County Health Department.
The program relies on volunteers and grant money, making repairs to damaged bikes a significant burden.
For now, bikes will need to be checked out during the operating hours of the buildings that house them, including the downtown information center, the Chouteau County Library, and the Chouteau County Health Department.
The bikes will remain on "lockdown" until further notice as officials hope people will be more mindful when using this free community resource.
