One factor, often overlooked, when it comes to promoting cycling as a safe, green and economically friendly mode of getting around is available bike parking. If you do not know where you can securely park or store your bike, you may be less likely to commute and do errands by bike. In recent years, bike parking initiatives from around the world have gained momentum. Here are some top examples:
The Netherlands:
The city of Utrecht in The Netherlands is paramount with their massive system of parking infrastructure, including the “World’s Largest Underground Bicycle Parking Garage” which boasts 12,656 spaces, including those for cargo ebikes! In the last decade, so many people in Utrecht have adopted cycling as a quicker mode of travel, so parking was desperately needed to meet the demand. The project’s aim was to encourage locals to commute using bikes by providing easy access to secure bike storage and train access, as well as repair stations and cycling gear retail, all in one location.
Rotterdam and Amsterdam join Utrecht in creating a network of bike parking hubs connected to rail stations throughout The Netherlands, where over 400,000 people — more than 40% of all train passengers — bike to a station every weekday. A recent article by David Zipper for Bloomberg’s Hyperdrive details how successful this network has been and how far ahead of North American standards The Dutch truly are.
The City of Rotterdam also has over 1,000 fietstrommels (“bike barrels”) in the region; the public may access them with a rental fee of approximately 5 euro / month.
Check out this “Not Just Bikes’” video to learn how bike parking is key to unlocking increased cycling uptake in urban centres.
France:
France’s new law on compulsory bike parking spacing for shared apartments came into effect in 2023. Thanks to France’s 2019 “Mobility Orientation Law,” buildings with car parking options for inhabitants will be required to address the question of secure bicycle parking too. As for the parking spaces themselves, a clause added to the law in June 2022 specified that : “the parking devices offered by the apartment complex will need to stabilise bikes - meaning the bicycles should be secured by both the frame and at least one wheel.
Additionally, the area dedicated for cyclists will need to be secure, meaning it must have ‘a door equipped with a secure locking system’ if it is within the building. If located outside the building, the facilities will need to be covered, lit and enclosed.”
Vancouver:
The Bicycle Valet of Vancouver returns, once again, from June 19th, 2023 until Sept 1, 2023.
Established in 2006, the program has a 93% positive user rating, with 280,296 bikes parked and ZERO bikes stolen! Search for an available location or an event where the Valet is operating and feel confident that your bike will be well-looked-after! It’s simple! Like a coat-check, they will tag your bike or ebike and give you a claim ticket. You can also leave your helmet or panniers on your bike and they will be safely kept. A great way to park your Zygg ebike safely at events!
Glasgow:
The Scottish City of Glasgow has recognised that if secure bike parking is not available, especially for those who rent flats without proper space for storage, then there is a barrier to the adoption of cycling. To overcome this, Glasgow has installed 201 “pay-per-use” residential bike-parking-units, each with the capacity to store 6 bicycles, providing 786 storage spaces across the city. The units are at street-level, convenient to lock-away your bike, without having to carry it up or down stairs. There is so much demand for these cherished spots that Glasgow expects the roll-out of many more in the coming year.
Toronto:
Although there have been many victories in the last few years with the creation of better cycling infrastructure in Toronto (including the passing by City Council on June 14th of a planned 9 km of new bikeways : Bloor Street West, Bartlett-Havelock-Gladstone, Cabbagetown, Sheppard Avenue East, Superior Avenue), one area that needs much more attention is the lack of adequate bike parking! As universities, governments and businesses have witnessed a return to “in person” study and work this year, the need for proper locking and storing networks is key to getting people moving by bike.
There are a few proper City of Toronto programs that should be highlighted:
Bike Lockers - 19 Stations (near Go, TTC Stations and Popular Destinations) with a $10.46 / month fee or a minimum of 4 months
Bike Stations - Four well-appointed Bike Parking Stations including at City Hall and Union Station
Bike Corrals - Over 2 dozen seasonal, outdoor, group parking areas throughout the city
Many of these facilities are sold out or have large wait-lists, which signals their success, and also, the need for many more locations and options. The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation ( A Clean Air Partnership) has published a thorough study aimed at inspiring a solidly-researched strategy of bike parking models that work.
NYC:
Oonee Instagram
Originally designed in Brooklyn, and now considered “A Leader In Innovative Bike Parking” in dozens of prime locations throughout the U.S. Oonee Pod is a smart, modular, customizable pod that provides secure parking for scooters and bicycles as well as public space amenities. When founder Shabazz Stuart had his third bicycle stolen in a five-year period, he realized that, “secure parking for bicycles was critical for convenient and reliable mobility in cities. Despite this obvious need, and the growing number of cyclists on the street, there was no solution available for smart, attractive, secure bike parking structures.”
Shabazz and co-founder J. Manuel Mansylla note: “Bicycles and scooters are indelibly linked to streets and public spaces. That’s why we gave Oonee a dual purpose: provide great mobility infrastructure, while enlivening surrounding public spaces. Each Oonee is an iconic sculpture that steals the show; providing benches, seating, greenery and other placemaking features in an iconic super-customizable frame.”
Have a look for yourself, Oonee Pods are super-cool and gorgeous!
On a final note : Shabazz emphasizes that bike and ebike culture isn’t only about people who cycle for recreation. “In cities like New York, a large part of the delivery ecosystem is driven by bikers. For those who are making a living delivering on bikes, having bike infrastructure is critical to them being able to do their jobs. They keep our restaurants afloat, keep New Yorkers fed and they control traffic on the streets,” Stuart explained to Vice Media, “Can you imagine if eighty thousand people who make between four and ten trips a day all delivered in cars instead of bikes?...Biking culture is not just something that we use because we want to, because it's nice, because we want to get around and take in the air. It's something that people use for work. It's something that is critical.”
Zygg has been tracking Oonee’s rise over the years, and reached out to their team last year with hopes that they would consider cross-border opportunities in Canadian cities. Although not slated to appear here in the immediate future, Zygg welcomes their creativity, entrepreneurial and civic spirit here, soon!